The Sarah Jane Adventures: Series 5B
by YumeZoe
Summary: The pieces of the puzzle coalesce. A shadow falls over the universe. This is the battle of Bannerman Road. This is the end. COMPLETE. Rate here: sjaneverending. com
1. Meet Mr Smith Part One

**The Sarah Jane Adventures** **  
Meet Mr Smith - Part One**

Adapted from a storyline by Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman

Slot: 5.7

* * *

Humanity basked in the deep rooted psychological fear that their computers would develop sentience and overthrow them. That the concept of humanity and thought and free will would conflict with their chuntering, mechanical, logical thought processes.

But what would happen if a computer accepted one side and rebelled against the concept they were built for?

Mr Smith was a Xylok, a crystalline based life form embedded into an advanced computer system in a chimney. In essence, he was a computer system, and computer systems worked in fixed cycles. Chuntering away in an organised and efficient manner until they were run down and broken.

Mr Smith never felt this way, however. He didn't feel this way ever since his reboot, and he certainly didn't feel like he was old and rusty while working with Sarah Jane on a case one dreary day while Clyde, Rani and Sky gossiped about the latest drama at school.

"My scan is complete, Sarah Jane." Mr Smith informed her. "All seems to be as it is meant to be."

Sarah Jane nodded with a smile. Mr Smith couldn't place any additional information to the smile. He was built for facts, not imagination - though he did have his moments. Simple, cold, hard facts. Everything was a routine.

They all left soon enough to turn in for the night, Sarah Jane being the last to leave. She bid him a goodnight, flicked off the light and closed the door as he left. Mr Smith slowly began to retreat into slumber for another night. It was just routine.

Until it wasn't.

* * *

It was a quiet day on Bannerman Road. The crisp, chilly autumn air was biting and the group decided to spend their day in the attic. By the attic door, Sky Smith stood patiently while Rani Chandra stood over her, measuring the younger girl's height with a metre ruler and a marker. Clyde Langer was splitting his time between watching the girls and reading a school textbook while investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith sat working by the computer, flicking through documents and filed paperwork.

"I don't believe it," Rani spluttered incredulously as she pulled the stick from Sky's side and stood at her full height. "You've grown- _again-_ in a week! What's Sarah Jane feeding you?"

"I like to eat my greens." Sky giggled proudly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Sarah Jane smiled softly at that.

"Something I could never do." Clyde proclaimed as he high-fived Sky.

"Er, yeah, like _that's_ anything to be proud of!" Rani snorted, giving Clyde a light shove.

"Oi!" Clyde whined, rubbing his shoulder. "Watch it or I'll bite your knee."

The three basked in laughter while Sarah Jane typed away on the computer.

" _If I may interrupt, Rani,"_ Mr Smith's monotone voice rang out, drawing attention. " _I find it highly illogical to use such...standard methods for measuring Sky's height when my scanning equipment is functional and ready to use._ "

"Oh. it's nothing personal, Mr Smith!" Rani assured the supercomputer. "This is just how mum used to do measure my height."

" _How….contrived."_

"Oi!"

Sarah Jane chuckled at the brief exchange.

"It has sentimental value, Mr Smith." she added. "She's fond of the method."

" _I'm afraid I do not understand."_ Mr Smith decided. Sky trotted up the steps to where Sarah Jane sat, peering over her shoulder to look at her work, curious.

"What are you working on?" Sky asked curiously.

"Collecting information for a case." Sarah Jane explained, leaning back and crossing her arms. "A corporate billionaire wrapped up in business he should not be involved in."

"Have you got any conclusive proof?" Rani asked worriedly, approaching them and eyeing the spreadsheet with concern.

"No." Sarah Jane admitted.

"How do you know he's guilty then?" Clyde asked curiously, alternating his gaze between Sarah Jane and the computer screen.

"Call it intuition. Liam Drake is exactly type of person to be involved in business he shouldn't be involved in."

"Why do you need proof?" Sky asked innocently. Sarah Jane smiled warmly at her. Sky was still so new to the world. She still had so much to learn.

"I can't just go and accuse him, Sky." Sarah Jane explained. "It could get me into trouble."

Sky considered this before nodding slowly, showing she understood. Her eyes drifted towards the image of a different man printed on a sheet of paper.

"Who's he?"

"Noah, _the Pride and Joy of Foxgrove village."_ Clyde recited, earning strange looks from his friends. "What? I read...at times!"

" _Shocker!"_ Rani drawled, pinching his cheek playfully.

"He's always talking about resurrecting the old ways." Sarah Jane mused. "I've been trying to get an interview."

"Why?" Sky asked.

"Intuition," Sarah Jane smiled warmly. "It's been a long time since I've been to Foxgrove - new or old."

" _Alert, alert!_ " Mr Smith cried out, alarms blaring. A warning sign flashed on the screen, disrupting any further conversation that may have stemmed.

Before anybody could react, an object crashed through the stained window. The object was spherical and dirty. Ominous looking spikes covered it- almost like it was a shield. It hovered in the air for several seconds before moving in the blink of an eye and attaching itself to Mr Smith's keyboard.

"Mr Smith, what is that?" Sarah Jane asked, jumping out of her seat. The three teenagers gaped at the scene, confused.

" _Alert! High levels of mutagenic energy detected!"_ Mr Smith blared as the sphere opened and a stream of multicoloured liquid poured out of the object and into the chassis of the supercomputer. " _You must all evacuate immediately_."

"Come on, move!" Sarah Jane demanded. The first to snap out of her stupor, she reached over and grabbed Sky by her arm, dragging her out of the door and into the corridor to the covers of safety, quickly followed by Clyde and Rani. When they were all safe, Sarah Jane slammed the attic door shut.

Mere seconds later, a bright white flash of light erupted from the other side of the door, then there was silence. Cautiously, Sarah Jane pushed the attic door open and took a tentative step forward, closely followed by Clyde, Rani and Sky. Everything appeared intact, so Sarah Jane turned to her young compatriots.

"Is everybody okay?"

Rani and Sky nodded their heads in affirmation, but Clyde was staring at something. Sarah Jane followed his gaze and noticed a strange man standing in front of a charred Mr Smith, smiling delightedly at them.

The man was dressed in a pinstriped grey suit, a handkerchief in his top pocket and an umbrella over his left arm. He was also wearing a bowler hat.

"Hullo!" the man waved.

"Who are you?" Sarah Jane demanded, keeping her distance. The man sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes at her.

"Oh Sarah Jane, really. I should have thought that was perfectly obvious." the man doffed his bowler hat, smiling broadly and flailing his arms dramatically. "I'm Mr Smith!"

A derisive laugh escaped Rani's lips. Sarah Jane took no chances and opened her wristwatch scanner, scanning the new arrival.

"Is he armed?" Sky asked worriedly.

"No weapons." Sarah Jane confirmed.

"Unless you count the brolly." the suited man agreed.

"There's nothing out of the ordinary about him," Sarah Jane decided at last when her watch stopped bleeping. "He's a normal human being."

"Oh dear, that makes me sound so terribly dull." He frowned. "Scan again! Scan for excitement!"

"Stay where you are!" Clyde shouted, snatching up an alien looking gun and pointing it at the mysterious man. "I mean it!"

The supercomputer sparked again, vying for everyone's attention.

"Is Mr Smith okay?" Rani asked worriedly. Sarah Jane diverted her scanning device and scanned the wall unit.

"Fine, Rani, thanks for asking." the man replied from his corner.

"Shut it!" Clyde hissed.

"No, that's impossible." Sarah Jane whispered, flying over to the storage unit where the Xylok crystal was housed. The door was slightly ajar and when Sarah Jane opened it, she found it empty. The Xylok crystal had been destroyed. She stood up, shocked. "Mr Smith is dead!"

"If by 'dead', you mean stood right here in a rather natty ensemble then break out the black crepe!" the man quipped. "The sphere is harmless, by the way, since I know that's what you're all wondering about. It's empty. I've absorbed all of the mutagenic energy. Oh, and Clyde?"

"What?" Clyde barked.

"Could you find something more threatening than a Trantarian nose clipper to threaten me with?" the man asked, unimpressed.

"You know all our names." Sky realised.

"Of course I do!" the man exclaimed. "Sarah Jane Smith, Sky Smith, Clyde Langer and Rani Chandra! I also know Clyde is a week behind on his essay on Picasso-"

"Hey!" Clyde exclaimed.

"Oh, don't be so selfish. Shouldn't you be helping Rani? She's on her seventeenth driving lesson, she could use all the help she can get!"

"Oi!" Rani gasped, offended.

"Well, if you're that huffy about it, how about we talk about how Sky has grown three inches in a fortnight, or about how Sarah Jane devoured an entire packet of custard creams last night while she was researching for an article on solar energy?"

Sarah Jane blushed when three pairs of teenage eyes landed on her.

"I was hungry." she muttered lamely.

"Did you know she once had tea with the queen and stopped an oil rig spillage at the same time?"

"Excuse me-" Sarah Jane started to protest.

"Hush, dear," Smithy raised a hand, silencing her.

"What? _You_ met the queen?" Clyde asked in surprise. "And you never told us?!"

"Well, it's not exactly something people would speak of freely, is it?" Sarah Jane hissed. She always did that. Keeping her more luxurious endeavours a secret. The last thing she needed was Gita Chandra running around spreading the news across the neighbourhood.

"No, this is a trick." Clyde decided, dismissing the man's knowledge.

"No, _this_ is a trick!" the man declared, producing an ace of hearts card from Clyde's ear. Clyde recoiled in shock. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm Mr Smith! The mutagen energy transformed me from my default Xylok crystalline form to that of a human being, flesh and blood."

"This is weird." Rani decided.

"You're telling me," Mr Smith remarked. "We Xylok look down our crystalline lattices at organic life. You know, I always thought being human would be disgusting."

"Oh, cheers."

"Although…" the bowler clad gent trailed off as he started to jog in place, to the confusion of the four other people present in the room. "I think I quite like it!"

"What do we call you?" Sky asked the man.

"Call me?" Mr Smith inquired as he sniffed a flower in the vase, plucking it up and placing it in his buttonhole. "Hmm...I don't know. What do you suggest?"

"How about Smithy?"

"Smithy?" the man pondered. "Smithy...Smithy, Smithy, Smithy. Yes, I quite like Smithy. Good job, kid!"

"Do you remember much?" Rani asked curiously.

"No." Smithy said mournfully. "You humans have such tiny brains. I can't fit all of my knowledge in here! It's ghastly!"

"That sphere." Sarah Jane frowned, staring at it. "I don't think this was any accident. It's deliberate. Someone wanted Mr Smith to become human."

* * *

Clyde and Rani set about cleaning up the broken glass shards while Sarah Jane concluded her phone call to UNIT. Sky kept Smithy company in the meantime. A couple of minutes later, Sarah Jane walked back into the attic.

"What did UNIT say?" Rani asked.

"There's been no activity from any of the other buried Xylok crystals." Sarah Jane replied.

"Can you sense anything, Mr Smith?" Rani inquired, instinctively turning to the chimney breast.

"Smithy. Over here." The three turned to see Smithy lounging on the chair, biting into an apple Sky had given him. "Unless you're expecting an answer from Father Christmas I wouldn't bother." he paused, his eyes wide. "Oh goodness, I can make jokes now! That is much better than facts!"

"Well," Clyde turned with a smirk, "In any case Rani, you-"

"Might as well be talking to a brick wall!" Smithy exclaimed. "Ha! Beat you to the punchline!"

Clyde scowled as Smithy tossed the apple aside and grabbed a banana Sky passed over.

"Aren't you going to unpeel that?" Sky asked curiously.

"Why?" Smithy scoffed before biting in the unpeeled banana. "It's tastier this way."

"You're dressed all old fashioned." Sky pointed out, eyeing his clothes.

"If it's any consolation, dear, I don't know why I'm dressed like this." Smithy confessed. "I don't remember a lot of things. I have these gaps in memories. Human brains."

"Yes, you've said." Sarah Jane interrupted, deciding to take action. "Maybe UNIT's Skywatch satellites will have some information. It could be a good idea to check."

"Oh, must you?" Smithy groaned. "They said 'no alien activity', ergo day off, ergo - let's go out! The shops! You all love going down to the shops, let's all go down to the shops."

"No, absolutely not!" Sarah Jane snapped. "I won't allow it!"

"Sarah Jane," Smithy said seriously. "You are guilty of false imprisonment of a fascinating new life form. Or perhaps she just wants me all to herself, eh kids?"

Clyde and Rani inwardly cringed and Sky cocked her head to the side, confused.

"You can't just go bounding out there!" Sarah Jane retaliated. "We don't know if anyone's after you! There has to be a reason they made you human."

"Well, if you're so bothered, I offer a brilliant cover story!"

"I'm listening."

"I am the long lost cousin of Sarah Jane Smith- that's you- who has come to stay. I could take the spare room while good old Luke is away! It's brilliant, flawless, let's use it!" Smithy beamed. His beam morphed into a frown once he noticed Sarah Jane's incredulous expression. "Oh, come on! While you study your dreary reports, me and the gang will go shopping!"

Without waiting for a response, Smithy bounded out of the room excitedly, his steps precisely timed and rhythmic, like a well choreographed dance. A moment of silence filled the air. The group stood, unsure of how to respond, when a shrill voice cried out,

"Good lord, what terrible wallpaper!"

Sarah Jane rolled her eyes.

"Keep an eye on him." she told her three young friends. They nodded and gave chase to the man that was once their supercomputer. When they were out of sight, Sarah Jane turned to her computer and booted it up.

For all their faults, Sarah Jane didn't believe for a second that UNIT didn't maintain their Skywatch satellites to the best of their abilities.

* * *

"So, what do you want to see first?" Sky asked.

"Coo-ee! Rani!"

"Oh no," Rani groaned. Gita Chandra trotted up the drive happily, eyeing the group of four with interest and unbridled curiosity.

"Hello! You off somewhere?" Gita asked Rani, her curious eyes never leaving Smithy's attire.

"We're just going into town, mum." Rani informed her. "Oh, this is Smithy, Sarah Jane's long lost cousin come to stay. Smithy, this is my mum."

"Your mother?" Smithy scoffed, leaning closer to Gita with a charming smile. "Are you sure you're not her sister?"

"Ooh!" Gita giggled. "I like your flower!"

"Thank you very much."

"Tell you what, I can get you carnations for half price," Gita offered, "I run a flower shop, wouldn't you know!"

"That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, we really need to get going." Rani interrupted, grabbing Smithy by his sleeve and pulling him down the drive, closely followed by Clyde and Sky.

* * *

The Shadow Architect sashayed down the spacious hallway with pride, her boots clacking on the ground as she walked towards her destination, her piercing red eyes scanning each and every corner of the corridor for any faults or cracks.

A door slid open and she walked into a room. A Judoon stood waiting for her while one of her sisters worked at a nearby computer. The air was tense. They had a job to do. The resurgence of the Time Agency was not helping matters. Time Agents were running amok searching for their target and hindering their operations. They had always been a facetious lot.

"Have we found our target?" the Shadow Architect asked, her voice crackling like thunder.

"No, ma'am." the other woman in the room whispered, ashamed. "We have managed to isolate the signal back to Sol 3."

"The backwater planet." the Shadow Architect scoffed. Why anyone would ever bother with that snivelly little planet, let alone the last Time Lord in existence, was beyond her. She scowled. She turned to a new figure that had appeared behind her.

"I was hoping that I was being quiet." the man sighed in an augmented voice. The Shadow Architect sneered at him.

"Your attempts at aloofness are pathetic, _Kai._ "

"Hmph."

"You have a new mission." the Shadow Architect adopted a tone of authority, one that brooked no argument. "You will infiltrate Sol 3 without any assistance from the Judoon or Atraxi and locate Ozmo. You will then bring him here to be detained. Should you fail, I will personally see to it that your prison sentence is extended rather than shortened. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, mum." Kai rolled his eyes. He moved to stop the Shadow Architect when she prepared to move away. Her hand darted away just before they made contact and she glared at him for attempting such a crude attempt at physical contact. She was such a drag. "What I _don't_ understand is why I can't have the good old squaddies to help me? It wouldn't make things easier, mind you, but it'd be hilarious to watch those idiots knock down everything in sight."

"Keep talking Kai and I'll lock you up in the chambers for another millennia." the Architect hissed. "The Judoon are needed for another case and the Atraxi have shown….hesitance to return to Sol 3."

"Losers." Kai snorted. He sighed derisively, waving his hand in the air.

"You can hide behind your bravado, _boy_ , but I know what you did. There's no reason Miss Jackson and her cohorts shouldn't either."

Something shifted in Kai's demeanour. His eyes darkened and the atmosphere became stifling, making the workers present in the room anxious to escape. A predatory growl escaped his lips...and a knife suddenly appeared in his hand.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?" the Shadow Architect sneered. "Never forget who is in charge here, boy."

Kai receded. He used it to slice lettering into his arm. He didn't stop until _EARTH_ was tattooed into his arm. A reminder of his mission. He really didn't want to face the consequences of the brand if he failed. "I accept your mission, Shadow Architect. When do I leave?"

* * *

"You've been in there for ages!" Clyde complained as he stood outside of the clothing store dressing room cubicle. "Hurry up!"

"Patience never was your virtue, was it?" Smithy quipped. "I'll be out in a minute!"

With tremendous flair, Smithy shoved the curtain aside and posed majestically.

"You're wearing the same thing!" Clyde spluttered incredulously.

"I know!" Smithy exclaimed, delighted. "This is a marvellous little shop, let's come again sometime! Are you paying?"

"Why do you have to make everything ten times harder?!"

* * *

Sarah Jane flicked through some of the data she collected while the printer continued to spew new information and data.

* * *

Rani set her baguette in the bagging area of a self-checkout machine and fished around her pocket for spare change. Sky and Clyde were in the bookshop next door and Smithy was watching her with bizarre intensity.

" _Unexpected item in bagging area_!" the machine squawked in a shrill tone. Rani froze, her eyes drifting and lingering on the brolley placed opposite her tuna baguette.

"Talking machines, don't ya just hate 'em?" Smithy asked innocently when Rani fixed him with a glare. She opened her mouth to retort when the man galloped off further down the shop. Rani watched him go in confusion.

"What's up?" Clyde asked. He and Sky had left the shop with a Cinderella book for the younger girl to read. They had bought ice cream cones before deciding to see what was taking Rani and Smithy so long to leave the shop.

"Smithy just took off!" Rani exclaimed, pointing at the former supercomputer's retreating form. Clyde and Sky followed her gaze.

"We should probably follow him," Clyde said.

"Yeah, we probably should." Rani agreed. Sky nodded her head in agreement. With that unanimous decision, the three teenagers traversed across the store to Smithy's stooped form. He was helping somebody pick up their groceries.

"Thank you," a familiar voice gushed, flustered. "It all happened so fast."

" _Mum?"_ Clyde froze, astonished.

Carla Langer looked up at her son. She had been on her weekly grocery run when she decided she was craving Mojito. In her excitement, she had forgotten to look where she was going and accidentally bumped into a man, her groceries toppling to the floor. The man had left her to pick up her groceries alone, and Carla wasn't expecting an immaculately dressed man to swoop in and help her, despite her protests.

"Oh," Carla smiled. "Hello, love. This your friend?"

"Quite! We're great chums, Clyde and me," Smithy smirked. "I'm visiting with my cousin, Sarah Jane for a while."

"Oh, you're related to Sarah Jane? I had no idea!"

"Well, she's not exactly forthcoming about familial relations," Smithy amended.

"Yeah, and we need to get going, _now_." Clyde hissed, interrupting the moment. The two were smiling at each other weirdly and it was making him uncomfortable.

"Right, yes!" Carla gasped, realising the time. "I'd best be off. Got to make lunch. Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Smithy!"

"It was nice to meet you too," Smithy smiled charmingly. He pulled out the carnation from his top pocket and offered it to her, a charming smile etched on her face. "For you."

"Oh, thank you." Carla blushed, accepting the offered flower, to Clyde's astonishment.

"My mum fancies a screensaver!" he gasped. Rani, on the other hand, was too busy eyeing a particular advert pinned to the store's billboard to listen to Clyde's infused rant.

* * *

Sarah Jane flicked through the notebook idly, searching for any clues that could point her in the right direction on this case. On the coffee table beside her was a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Without looking away from the printed notes, she reached for the carton, her fingers wrapping around the soft dough, reaching to devour it when-

"Naughty, naughty!" Smithy tutted, startling Sarah Jane into a jump. He stood in the doorway of the attic, his arms crossed and his face marred by a disapproving frown. "You really should watch what you eat, Sarah Jane."

"If I want a medical check, Mr Smith, I will ask for one." Sarah Jane retorted.

"Smithy," the man corrected, "Do keep up. Mr Smith is so drab and formal."

"Yeah, well, how was your day?" Sarah Jane asked, hoping to switch tracks in the conversation. Smithy perked up instantly.

"It was quite astonishing!" he remarked. "We went to all sorts of places, I never realised human life is so exhilarating! All those sights, tastes and smells, it's marvellous. I met Gita and Carla too."

"Oh, I bet that was an experience." Sarah Jane chuckled, leafing through her book. Smithy suddenly went very quiet, watching her intently. Sarah Jane didn't pay any attention. She felt the couch dip with added weight, but didn't think much of it, continuing her research for any clue on the phenomenon.

"Sarah Jane?"

"Yes?" she looked up to see Smithy gazing at her fondly.

"You are a remarkable person, Sarah Jane," Smithy told her. "Your dedication- all the lives you've saved, I can truly appreciate that now. It's astonishing."

Sarah Jane was taken aback by the praise. She hadn't expected it from Smithy, of all people. It felt...nice.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Sky, you're a newbie on Earth, aren't you?" Smithy asked as he clambered into his borrowed bed. "Do you know how to sleep?"

"Sleep?" Sky repeated.

"I don't think I know how to," the man confessed. "When Luke first came here, he didn't know how to either. Even with the minds of tens of thousands of people, he couldn't dream or sleep. The Bane built him to last, so he eventually found a way to just...switch himself off. Am I like Luke? What if I can't ever sleep? What if I can't dream?"

Sky frowned, unsure how to respond as she tucked him in. She attempted to articulate her thoughts and reply but Smithy fell asleep as soon as his head rested on the pillow. She smiled and quietly left the room.

* * *

Smithy awoke feeling rather ill. It was strange, he hadn't devoured any more of Sarah Jane's doughnuts. A strange noise prompted him to look down at his hand. He was startled to find it flickering and crackling with red Xylok energy. The house was relatively quiet, it must have been very late. The only things his ears registered was his breathing and Sky's conversation with someone he couldn't hear or identify in the next room over.

The television set in the room crackled to life, the blue haze illuminating the dark room. A line of black, bold text appeared in the middle of the screen, the letters appearing one after the other, almost as if someone was typing.

 _Mr Smith, I need you._

A set of instructions and a threat accompanied the message and Smithy knew what he had to do.

* * *

The Challis Museum was deathly quiet, the only figure active was one security guard. With his hat pulled over his eyes, Smithy kept to the shadows to avoid detection. He slipped past the guard effortlessly and silently skulked to the exhibit area. He singled out the case containing the matter relay and approached it.

Smithy's blurred fingers brushed over the case, and the matter relay glowed green. He moved his hand back, the relay resting in the palm of his hands. Triumphant, Smithy slipped out of the museum again.

It only took a short while to reach the warehouse- time was relative to Smithy. The warehouse was old, derelict, decrepit. There was a leakage somewhere he couldn't locate and a small gap in the room.

Standing beside a door further down the corridor was Ozmo, a humanoid with monkey-like features. His face was covered by a mask. A monkey mask with round eye holes, revealing his scarlet irises, a norm of his race, the Ozmoids. A jewel necklace was wrapped around his neck and he wore a mustard brown coat. The corners of his lips curled into a smile when he spotted the artefact in his hands.

"Finally! Cheers!" the alien chittered excitedly. "At last I can leave this depressing planet. Cold enough to freeze your monoids off, it is, and the people are as thick as two Graske!"

"Erm, do you have it?" Smithy asked tentatively. "You said you did."

"Sure," Ozmo replied, tossing over a small red device. "I'd have thought you'd hate being a human. I know I would."

"I quite like it," Smithy mumbled absentmindedly as he placed the nozzle attached to the back of the small red device to the back of his hand. The flesh stabilized and the illness Smithy previous felt quickly subsided. He sighed contentedly, "Is that all?"

"Yes, it was," Ozmo nodded. "Well, I'm off. Enjoy being a human!"

* * *

It was morning by the time Smithy returned to Bannerman Road. He opened and closed the door quietly. He turned around and froze. Across the hallway was Sky, wearing her dressing gown and holding a bowl of cereal, staring back at him with curiosity.

"Oh, there you are!" Sarah Jane exclaimed as she hopped down the stairs, already dressed for the day. "Where have you been?"

"I was...taking a nice stroll!" Smithy decided. "I heard about the roseate dawn, wanted to see how roseate it actually was, and let me tell you, it's pretty darn roseate out there."

"You know, you're a lot like Sky," Sarah Jane noted, eyeing Smithy's bedraggled tie in disdain and reaching over to fix it. "You both like to experience new things."

"Why, yes, I suppose we are," Smithy grinned, pointing at Sky seriously. " _Carpe diem,_ look it up!"

Sky watched him for a second before she walked into the living room, a spoonful of cereal already in her mouth.

"Any plans for _diem_?" Sarah Jane asked, admiring her handiwork and stepping back with a smile. Smithy pondered for a moment.

"Oh, nothing exciting." Smith decided. "Although…"

"Yes?"

"Could I have the address to Clyde's house?"

* * *

"Emergency! It's escalated!" Clyde hollered as he burst into the attic in a panic. Sky looked up from her _Cinderella_ book. "My mum's dating a screensaver!"

It had started out as a normal day for Clyde. He had woken up, sketched a bit, brushed his teeth, eaten his breakfast and helped his mum take out the bins. It was while they were taking out the bins that Smithy had appeared, offering to help Carla clear out and work on their shed. Carla had agreed brightly, and the pair had shooed a repulsed Clyde away.

Sky tilted her head to the side. "You mean Smithy?"

"Yes!"

"I think it's sweet," Sky giggled.

"I think it's disgusting," Clyde retorted as he sat down on the couch beside her. "Enjoying the book?"

"Yes." Sky smiled. "It's nice. Your mum is like _Cinderella_ and Smithy is her handsome prince!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Clyde chuckled nervously. Rani wandered into the attic, a newspaper in tow.

"To think that all this is still happening and we can't do anything about it," the girl sighed, showing her two friends the headline- _Robbery at the Challis Museum._

"Mr Smith would have been able to detect that." Sky noted.

"If he's not too busy fixing sheds," Clyde murmured under his breath.

"It must be hard, protecting the Earth all the time." Rani pointed out. "Not like we do, he does it twenty-four-seven. Imagine what that's like?"

"Maybe we could do his job for him!" Sky offered. Clyde and Rani chuckled skeptically at her enthusiasm.

"I don't think we can, Sky." Rani replied. "We're not supercomputers."

Sky frowned. "There could be. We just have to find it."

"Clyde!" Smithy burst into the attic looking pleased with himself. "Your mother was delighted with my work on the shed!"

"Why did you show up at our place today, anyway?" Clyde asked, suspicion leaking into his voice. "What are you up to?"

"Why, nothing at all!" Smithy replied coolly. "I'm simply trying to cheer your charming mother up! You said you wanted _somebody_ to."

"Oi, that was meant to be a secret!" Clyde hissed, annoyed. Sometimes, when it was a quiet day and everybody had their own things to do, Clyde would sit by Mr Smith and tell him things that were never supposed to be shared with others, like how his mum deserved better in life than what his dad had given her. "Who says you could blurt stuff like that out?"

"Oh," Smithy simmered down, chastised. "I'm sorry, Cl-"

"Mate!" Ozmo's voice chittered. Smithy jumped, startled. "Can I call you 'mate' now?"

"Oh my!"

"What is it?" Rani asked worriedly.

"They can't see me, if you make my presence known, I'll kill them," Ozmo explained at the same time as Rani. Smithy's eyes alternated between Rani and Ozmo. "I need your help."

"What?" Smithy squeaked.

"Are you okay?" Rani asked.

"I need you to get me a diamond! I've got the coordinates right here." Ozmo replied at the same time.

"No." Smithy answered them both.

"Oh, Clyde, look what you've done!" Rani snapped, glaring at the spluttering Clyde.

"Oh, we can't have that." Ozmo said darkly, standing behind the curious Sky. "I mean, I could kill them with no qualms. None whatsoever, but that's not all."

Smithy's hand started to crackle. Alarmed, he shoved his hand into his trouser pocket.

"I should probably mention that the stabilizer shot I gave you was from a bad batch. You'll be a Xylok by midnight if you don't do as I say."

The Ozmoid hologram disappeared and Smithy felt ill. He had to stop this. They didn't deserve to die because of him.

"Right then," Rani stepped back from her argument with Clyde, pulling him off the sofa and bringing him in front of Smithy. "Shake hands and let it be water under the bridge, you two. Come on!"

Clyde grudgingly held out his hand, waiting impatiently for Smithy to shake it. Smithy didn't comply. He quickly patted Clyde on the head and bounced out the door, leaving three confused teenagers in his wake.

"Oh, by the way, Rani," Smithy poked his head through. "Could you hand me my brolly?"

"Er, sure," Rani nodded, picking up the brolly and walking over to pass it to him. Smithy thanked her and leaned in close to whisper something. Three short words that caught her off guard. Smithy retreated as soon as the last word left his lips, off to who knows where.

 _Clyde loves you._

* * *

Smithy strolled through the vaults of the Maximum Security Area casually, whistling a tuneless note as he opened the seventeenth vault door, his fingers a blur. The metal door slid open and Smithy stepped into the room. His eyes scanned the area and landed on a drawer. Successfully figuring out the passcode, he opened the drawer and admired the shiny crystal hidden inside.

"You were right, I am remarkable."

Smithy jumped at the sound of Sarah Jane's voice, spinning around to see her step into the same room, sonic lipstick in hand.

"Sarah Jane!" Smithy gasped. "How did you…"

"Find you?" Sarah Jane smiled thinly. "The tracking device in your tie could be an indication."

Smithy sighed. He had been caught.

"What's the hold up?" Ozmo demanded as his hologram flickered to life. "I _need_ that diamond. Hurry up!"

"Sarah Jane, I can explain…" Smithy said, edging closer towards her. "Look at my hand, I need to do this." Smithy held up his hand and Sarah Jane stared at it in confusion. With her guard down, Smithy snatched the sonic lipstick from her. The energy crackled around her wrist and Sarah Jane winced in pain.

"Ouch!"

"I'm very sorry," Smithy sighed, pulling her further into the vault. He looked over at the diamond and a sense of hope filled him. "It'll all be over very soon, I promise."

"How can you be so sure?"

"It's complicated." Smithy managed, leaving her alone in the vault. "I'm sorry again."

"No, wait!" Sarah Jane exclaimed as the vault door closed. The energy around her wrist dissipated and she ran towards the vault door. She hammered at the door, trying to break free. "Mr Smith? Mr Smith, I can help you! Mr Smith?"

"I wouldn't knock too hard, Sarah Jane Smith," Ozmo cackled. "Who knows, you might be better off in here - with what I've got in store for this miserable planet!"

 **To Be Continued**

 **A/N: Hey everyone! If you enjoyed, please rate the story in the website below:** **sjaneverending . weebly . com (without the spaces, obviously.)**


	2. Meet Mr Smith Part Two

**The Sarah Jane Adventures**

 **End of Tales  
** **Meet Mr Smith - Part Two**

Adapted from a storyline by Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman

Slot: 5.08

* * *

"Ozmo!" Smithy roared as he stalked through the dark warehouse, searching for his target. The warehouse was old and rustic. The drippage of rainwater could be heard from a fault in the structure of the building.

"You took your time." Ozmo's growled. Smithy turned to see the alien glaring at him with beady eyes.

"Can you blame me?" Smithy hissed angrily, glaring at the man. "You've just made me lock up a friend of mine and before that, you've made me steal! Again!"

"Do you want to stay human or not?," Ozmo retorted. "I'm sorry and all that. Here, to make up for it, how about another stabiliser?" Ozmo produced a clear yellow liquid in a syringe and played with it. "Tell you what, why don't you apply the shot? Mark of trust!" Smithy eyed the shot warily before finally snatching it out of the alien's hand, depositing the diamond into his clutches. "Excellent, excellent..."

"Yeah, whatever." Smithy muttered as he applied the shot. He felt the yellow liquid course through his veins, a more tolerable sensation than having to listen to Ozmo's awfully scripted diatribe- the alien had no pizzazz-. Tossing the syringe away, he strode towards the door with purpose.

"And where are _you_ going?" Ozmo squawked.

"Sarah Jane is still locked up in that vault, I have to help her!"

"Do you have to?"

"I can't just leave her there!"

"No, party pooper!" Ozmo sighed. "I'm just asking if you leave it a couple of hours. I have to power up the indices for the teleport. You know how I want to go home, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"And you've been working with that old biddy for _years._ You guys are a _team_. Once a team, always one and all that. Why don't we just...forget about this little incident?"

"What-"

"You've helped her save the world _all the time_. I'm sure she won't mind this one time. Besides, maybe you'll laugh about this one day!"

"Well, yes. We're a team." Smithy realised "We always have been. All I've done is rescue a wayward traveller- and coincidentally secured a reward for myself- yes," Smithy nodded resolutely, "yes, of course she'll understand."

"That's the spirit!" Ozmo cried out sarcastically as he stomped off, leaving Smithy alone in the warehouse. The bowler hat adorned man stood in silence, mentally deliberating over what to do with himself, when he realised what he had to do, and smiled. He turned towards the warehouse doors and left with renewed purpose. Somewhere out there was a woman in need of rescuing, and he was capable of saving her.

* * *

Sarah Jane fiddled with her phone. It was useless, the battery was dead. She had been stuck in the vault for ages. Sky must have been so worried. What's worse, nobody had arrived to take her away or arrest her.

She would have to find a way to deal with the latter.

"No signal, no sonic, nobody can hear me-" Sarah Jane sighed hopelessly. "Oh, Mr Smith, what are you doing?!"

* * *

"Dinner as well? It's not my birthday!" Carla exclaimed in surprise, finishing making her fifth Mojito of the week. "I thought we were having a quiet day in?"

"It's a good thing I booked the restaurant then!" Smithy chuckled. He stood in a red telephone box with a smile on his face. Carla attempted to protest, but Smithy cut her off. "Carla, my dear, life's for living and dinner is for eating."

"What does that mean?" Carla giggled.

"Don't let either get cold, of course!" Smithy exclaimed the two indulged in some chuckling. "See you at eight!"

* * *

"Straight to voicemail _again_." Sky remarked with a growl as she dialled Sarah Jane's number once again. She paced about in the attic, ignoring the charred chassis and her two friends to the best of her ability. It was hard, remembering that Mr Smith wasn't really gone and was actually a human being running around.

She couldn't stop pacing. She was nervous, maybe even scared. Sarah Jane was never gone for so long unless something had happened or she had destroyed her phone. Again.

Sky sighed and sat down on the steps, unsure as to what she should do.

"Aw, cheer up, Sky." Rani smiled sadly. "I'm sure Sarah Jane will be back soon, you're not to blame. If anything, it's Smithy that should be blamed."

"Oh, you've changed your tune." Clyde scoffed, glaring at Rani. "What happened, Miss Mediator, finally seeing how wrong you were."

"Oi, that's not fair!" Rani retorted. "You were just angry at him for fancying your mum!"

"That's not true!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

The two resumed their argument and Sky sighed silently, trying to reach Sarah Jane once again.

"Well, you were the one who wanted us to be friends!" Clyde argued.

"Yeah, well, what else have you told him, hm?" Rani asked, boring her eyes into him. "How do we know you haven't been confiding secrets about us into Mr Smith."

"Stop it!" Sky cried out, reaching her boiling point. Her two friends were having petty arguments and Sarah Jane still wouldn't pick up her phone. "Don't you see that this isn't important now? We have to find Sarah Jane!"

"Yeah," Rani nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Sky."

* * *

Sarah Jane was not a damsel in distress. She actively despised the thought. It was just a way to bring women and their self-esteem down further. She was resourceful, and she had resources at her disposal. Flipping the lid of her wristwatch scanner, she placed it next to the steel vault door.

"Come on, come on…aha!" her face fell as she noted the readings. Approximately four hours.

It appeared that she was going to be waiting for quite some time.

* * *

Smithy and Carla were seated in a fancy restaurant. Soft classical music drifted along and filled the room with its dulcet tones. Couples dined together with fancy cutlery and plates, beaming at each other and it was quite possibly the first time in her life that Carla felt pampered.

A waiter approached them with a silver platter as Carla observed the other couples in the room. Most were dressed in all sorts of fancy garb and she felt a little ridiculous sitting in her old dress. She flushed slightly in embarrassment, hoping Smithy didn't notice. Thankfully, he was busy beaming down at the silver platter as the waiter removed the lid to reveal their starter plates. A small smile graced Carla's lips.

"A bottle of champagne, monsieur." Smithy ordered with his patented charming smiles. "The Crystal!" He noticed Carla's confused glance and chuckled nervously. "Aha, private joke."

Carla giggled. She was so happy she could burst. There had been relatively few times she had felt so elated and breathless, one of these momentous occasions being the day Clyde had been born, and it was a potent feeling.

"Are you okay, Carla?" Smithy asked in concern. Carla smiled and nodded.

"Yes, yes, of course, don't worry about me. It's just…" she sighed. "You'll find it silly."

"Well, that cannot be determined until you tell me what's bothering you." Smithy pointed out. "Come on, out with it!"

"I'm just surprised, is all." She chuckled sadly. "I mean, with Paul, my old husband, I didn't get this much. I couldn't really expect much at all. No fancy restaurants, nothing to spoil me. I could only ever expect battered sausages and tizer, so, yeah...it's nice. Thank you. I don't think I've quite met anyone like you."

Smithy nodded, his confident demeanour replaced by a calmer, more sensitive aura. He sat up straight in his chair and gingerly place his hand on top of Carla's surprising her.

"To be honest with you, Carla, just lately, I've started to see life in a very different way." Smithy told her in a quiet tone that attracted her attention. It was sincere, which she appreciated more than she cared to admit. "All those year I was working, facts and figures, data-"

"You did IT?" Carla interrupted, surprised. "Like, working with computers?"

"You could say that." Smithy agreed. "But now I can see- I neglected all the important things….fun, friendship, spending time with someone special…"

"Oh, I'm nothing special." Carla dismissed, a low, self deprecating chuckle bubbling from her lips.

"Clyde certainly thinks you are." Smithy commented.

"Oh, Clyde would never say something like that!" Carla laughed, turning a vibrant shade as embarrassment enveloped her at the thought.

"You'd be surprised. He thinks the world of you, and who can blame him?"

Smithy allowed his comments to sink in, partly because the waiter was beginning to approach them with more silver platters in tow.

* * *

"I can't stand it!" Sky exclaimed suddenly, rising from her seat and stomping over to the two teenagers. "We're not just sitting here and waiting!"

"Well, I get that, Sky, but there's nothing we can do," Rani pointed out. "For now at least."

"No, there _is_ something we can do." Sky decided a moment's deliberation, stomping out of the attic and leaving her two friends confused in her wake. The two gaped at the open door wordlessly until Sky poked her head back in. "Come help me!"

"What are you up to?" Clyde asked.

"There's no time to talk." Sky answered brusquely. "Come _on_!"

In a couple minutes, the attic had been completely reformed. Newspapers were stacked high on the computer desk- courtesy of Rani procuring multiple from the local library- and the portable TV that Clyde and Sky had carried from Luke's bedroom had been plugged into Mr Smith's computer chassis and was currently streaming the news channel.

"Rani, read the newspapers." Sky ordered, "Clyde, check the news channels on the TV." she left the room to fetch the kitchen radio.

"She's the new one and she's taken over!" Clyde muttered to Rani, who shot him a glare.

"Why are you telling _me?"_ she sneered.

"Stop arguing!" Sky snapped as she walked back in with the radio in hand.

"I don't get what this is all for, Sky." Rani admitted, eyeing the newspapers.

"Mr Smith is gone and somebody needs to do his job, the hard way." Sky replied. "We have all these resources, we should use them. Do our job. We _have_ to find Sarah Jane!"

"Yeah...yeah, you're right." Rani agreed with a firm nod. "Well, what we are waiting for?"

With that, the attic was filled with a multitude of voices as the group listened intently for clues or signs of an alien incursion or Sarah Jane's location.

* * *

"About time!" Sarah Jane exclaimed as the vault door slowly slid open and two burly looking guards glared at her. Sarah Jane paid them no mind, her eyes quickly drifting over their sidearms before she resumed her tirade. "I need a phone charger, a direct line to UNIT High Command, a copy of your CCTV footage, and a cup of tea wouldn't go amiss." The guards exchanged a silent look before one of them approached her and slid a pair of handcuffs around her wrist and locking them in place. Sarah Jane winced and admitted, "or we could do this the hard way."

Before the guards were able to cart her away for questioning, a pair of knives sliced through the air and made contacts with their throats, slitting them open. The two guards collapsed to the floor, twitching sporadically before crumpling motionless.

Sarah Jane gasped at the sight, her leather jacket stained with blood. Her eyes latched onto the source of the murders: a man, standing nonchalantly in the doorway of the Maximum Security area twirling a knife in his hand, studying her. He had a curious expression etched on his face His eyes blazed with such intensity that Sarah Jane knew she would have to keep her guard up around him, even if she was currently handcuffed and unable to do anything useful.

"You're really old," the man informed her, causing Sarah Jane to falter.

* * *

The waiters pulled the lids off the platters to reveal a rather spectacular meal. A terrine of confit free range chicken, ham hock, savoy cabbage with sauce gribiche and, to Carla's surprise, Smithy was thinking about donuts for dessert.

"Wow!" Carla remarked as she examined the range of food, her stomach rumbling perilously. She hadn't realised she was so hungry. Picking up her knife and fork, Carla began to eat, neatly mirrored by Smithy. The pair sat in comfortable silence as they salivated at the taste of their meal. "This is amazing! Bit much, though. I wonder if I'll be able to finish it all!"

"Little tip for you, Carla," Smithy leaned in conspiratorially, a trail of sauce staining the bottom of his lip. "Stop eating before you become physically sick, so much more enjoyable."

Carla couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. It wasn't a brisk, even laugh, it was a beautiful, uncontrollable laugh straight from the pit of her stomach. She hadn't properly laughed at something for so long, she had forgotten what it was like.

"Thank you," she sighed when she sobered, reaching over to touch his hand. "For everything."

They sat like that, simply staring at each other lovingly. A moment so peaceful and tranquil them that was perhaps the first time in a very long time. Such a moment was never meant to last- a lesson Carla had learned early in her life- as a brisk cough broke the peace and sent them crashing back to reality. They looked up to see the maitre d' looking down at them with an ambivalent expression.

"Pardon moi," the man apologised in his thick french accent. "Tres urgent telephone call for Monsieur Smith."

"For me?" Smithy was taken aback.

"Oui."

"Oh, I see." Smithy nodded, suspicion gnawing at his insides. As the maitre d' skulked off, Smithy turned to Carla with a puzzled frown. "Please do excuse me, Carla, I was _certain_ I had finished everything and-"

"Oh, it's fine, honestly." Carla smiled warmly. "Go and take your phone call. I'll still be here."

"Thank you." Smithy said before he walked out of the dining area and towards the telephone in the wall, suspicious. Nobody would be calling him, Ozmo said he had finished everything and the caped do-gooders didn't know of his location. The kitchen doors were closed and there shouting on the other end as the cooks frenzied to get everything prepared in time. He picked up the phone and was greeted with silence on the other end. Smithy frowned, confused. The suspense didn't last. Ozmo's hologram flickered to life, grinning inanely at him.

"What the Hell do you want now?!" Smithy snapped, furious. "I've done everything! You're meant to be gone, anyway. What are you doing here? Oh, it doesn't matter, what do you want!?"

"Let me explain, mate!" Ozmo chittered, holding up a hand to silence him. Smithy conceded, crossing his arms. "The teleport indices are all wrong. They're not calculated properly, they're all wrong!"

"No, this wasn't what we agreed-" Smithy's rant was cut short by an all too familiar crackling. He looked down to see his hand crackling and growled, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Aww, sorry, mate!" Ozmo apologised insincerely. "The shot must have been from a bad batch, Ah well, what can you do? My eyesight's rubbish in this planet's atmosphere! Come on, mate, I only need you for half an hour at the very least!"

Smithy paused, conflicted. He turned and looked through a crack in the door at Carla waiting patiently for his return. He wanted to refuse, run back to her and resume their dinner. It was going perfectly, but his hand was too far gone. It was spasming and flickering wildly.

"Fine!" he snapped angrily. "Half an hour, and I want the proper shot this time!"

"Course." Ozmo dismissed as Smithy stomped out the back door to meet him. His eyes flickered to Carla, who continued to wait. "Oh, I _am_ sorry to break up your romantic little evening." he smirked, "but don't you worry love- this really is the last job for good old Smithy!"

* * *

"Excuse me!" Carla cried out, beckoning the maitre d' over. "My friend- is he still on the phone?"

"No, madame." the man replied. "I believe he has just left."

"Oh."

"I presume you will not be wanting to see the dessert menu, madame, shall I fetch the bill?"

Carla nodded, shattered and alone, not for the first time. She looked at the bowler hat and brolly Smithy had taken off when they had started their dinner, and then at a young couple the next table over sharing a kiss, and her face fell once more.

* * *

"Excuse me?" Sarah Jane gasped. She may have been afraid of this strange alien humanoid, but she was still insulted.

"No, seriously," the man continued, seemingly ignoring the fact he was casually insulting her. He twirled the knife in his hand as if it was a baton. "You're old. Old, old, old. Super old! Way too old to be Ozmo, anyway."

"Ozmo?"

"Yeah, keep up." he scoffed. "And you're definitely not a guard or I would have killed you. So, _granny_ , who in the name of the Shadow Architect's frizzy hair are you?"

"Sarah Jane Smith." Sarah Jane proclaimed proudly. She had to hide her fear but she didn't want to face the consequences of bravado. "But more to the point- who are you?"

"Sarah Jane Smith?" the man repeated, looking chastised. "Oh great. She's going to kill me."

"Who?"

"Kai."

"Kai?" Sarah Jane repeated, confused.

"Yeah, that's me." Kai pointed at himself in introduction. "Kai- unwilling ambassador of the Shadow Proclamation, a bunch of losers who have nothing better to do than uphold the affairs of galactic law."

"But you don't have to work for them." Sarah Jane pointed out. Kai laughed darkly, tossing the knife into the air and swiftly catching it.

"If only." Kai sighed. His fingers twirled over the hilt of his knife and he pointed it at her, his expression completely reformed to suspicion. "I've heard great things about you. Your story resonates throughout history and, try as I might, I highly doubt you would rob a bank. It goes against everything. Why are you here?"

"My friend's in trouble, I need to help him."

"Your friend?" Kai stared at her, puzzled. "Why would he need help? Was he here?"

Sarah Jane said nothing.

"He was, wasn't he? And now he's gone and left you to deal with the consequences. He's an agent of Ozmo, I gather?"

"What does it matter to you?" Sarah Jane demanded defensively. Smithy may have found himself in bad company, but he was still her friend. She struggled against the handcuffs, but it was no use, they were constricted. She was defenseless.

"I have the wonderful job of fulfilling whatever the Shadow Proclamation tell me to do, this is my _mission_ : capture Ozmo and detain him. If you're friend is assisting a wanted felon, I _will_ put him down."

"No, don't you dare!" Sarah Jane exclaimed desperately, trying to wriggle out of her shackles. Kai studied her once again, his eyes fostering a colder hue.

"Maybe the stories were wrong after all." Kai muttered. He fitted the knife back into its sheath and glared at her, bring his thumb and forefinger into front of him. "You better pray to some nonexistent God that you find him first, Sarah Jane Smith. You don't want to know what'll happen to him if I do. The race is on."

In the blink of an eye, the enigmatic Kai was gone, and her handcuffs with him. Sarah Jane twisted and rubbed her hands soothingly, stepping over the bodies. She couldn't mourn them or even look at them, she was far too terrified of what could happen to Smithy if she didn't find him immediately.

She had work to do.

* * *

"He did _what?!_ " Clyde roared down the phone, his grip tightening marginally. Rani and Sky briefly glanced at him before getting back to work, though they continued to eavesdrop.

"Oh, I dunno, he got a phone call and the next thing I know, he was gone!" Carla explained. Clyde couldn't see her, but it was clear that his mother was upset. "He's not over at Sarah Jane's with you lot, is he? Did something come up?"

"No, mum, he's not here." Clyde refuted sadly, not wanting to crush his mother's hope even more.

"You won't tell anyone about this, will you?" Carla asked hopefully. "Don't want to look like an even bigger idiot than I am…"

"I won't. I promise."

"See you later love, don't worry about me. I'm used to losers," Carla whispered sadly, tears threatening to spill. She quickly disconnected the call. Her son didn't need to hear her breakdown.

"I'm going to kill him." Clyde swore, tightening his grip on his phone. "He's been nothing but trouble!"

"Is your mum okay?" Rani asked worriedly from her position by the desk. Clyde's head snapped up towards her, his eyes stormy and clouded by anger.

"You don't need to know about my private business, Rani." he retorted angrily. "This isn't just about finding Sarah Jane anymore. We find her _and_ Mr Smith, and when we do, I'm gonna-"

Sky shushed him loudly, shooting him a glare. The chastised Clyde conceded, embarrassed by his behaviour. Satisfied, Sky turned around and picked up the remote control, turning the volume up on a news report that was playing on the television.

"... _recent break in at the Asquith Bank Vaults. There appear to have been signs of a struggle, and two guards have been reported dead."_ A male news reader announced coolly.

"Look!" Sky pointed out. Rani and Clyde followed her gaze to Sarah Jane's trademark vehicle, parked in the corner of the street where the news report was taking place. "Sarah Jane's there!"

" _We can confirm that a theft of a fine-cut diamond worth £1.5 million has been successful and police are now working to find the culprit and retrieve the valuable item."_

"Sarah Jane must have been there to stop the diamond from being stolen!" Sky deduced.

"It must have been Smithy." Clyde concluded brusquely. "Why else would she have been in the area?"

"Oi!" Rani cut in, glaring at Clyde. "Yeah, you're mad at him, we get it, but you're forgetting that for everything Smithy is, he's not a murderer!"

"Well, we're not exactly Saints either," Clyde retorted. "All the Slitheen we killed? We can't just hold Smithy on a pedestal! He's nuts! It's pretty obvious he broke in and stole the diamond."

"The diamond?" Sky murmured, a thought springing to mind. "Break in? There was a break in at a museum the night Smithy was out! If Clyde's right, that must have been where he was!"

"Which robbery?" Rani inquired.

"The Mayan artifact from the Challis museum!" Sky exclaimed as she fished through a pile of alien objects. "A normal person couldn't have pulled it off, it must have been Smithy! Aha!" with a triumphant flair, Sky pulled out a portable scanner. "We'll start helping by looking in the museum. C'mon!" she ran out the door.

" _That's_ why she's in charge." Rani noted. "Listen, after all this...we need to talk." Clyde nodded in agreement. With their argument put on hold, the two seniors left the attic and chased after their younger friend.

* * *

Smithy's hand was still crackling. Clutching it helplessly, he staggered into the dirty warehouse, his strength slowly draining with each step. His skin was burning up, he wasn't quite sure what was wrong.

"Ozmo?" Smithy croaked, almost stumbling over a crate in his feverish haze. His eyes were bleary, his ears rung and his nose was runny. He looked around aimlessly, searching for the strange alien. The low rumbling of a light switching on caught his attention, and soon enough Ozmo's figure appeared, a beat down portal behind him.

"Get to work." The Ozmoid demanded. He was always demanding nowadays and Smithy was starting to wonder if his comedic act was really an act. His bleary eyes were drawn to the gun in the alien's hand, and Smithy knew he would have to fix the indices as quickly as possible. "Ain't she a beauty?"

Smithy didn't respond. He began to total the indices quickly and efficiently. The sooner he was finished, the sooner the Ozmoid could leave the Earth, and Smithy could be human forever. His work was quickly disrupted when his hand crackled again.

"This isn't working," Smithy sighed. "I need the stabiliser shot."

"No, you don't. Come on!" Ozmo urged. "You'll work quicker this way!"

Smithy sighed. As much as he would like to be, he wasn't in control of the situation.

* * *

"Sky, come on! We only have ten more minutes!" Clyde hissed, peering over the corner.

"I'm almost finished!" Sky replied, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she fiddled with the scanner in the palm of her hands. Clyde and Rani had agreed to keep watch for any guards while she finished up her scan. The silence and tension between the pair was palpable.

"So, it's come to this, eh?" Rani sighed, fed up with the silence. "Avoiding each other because of some secrets we didn't tell each other?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it does sound pretty weird." Clyde muttered. The two stared at each other, the corner of their lips tugging into a smile. The two shared a brisk laugh at their pettiness. "Especially since it wasn't really your fault, it was Smithy's. I'm...sorry, Rani."

"Yeah, me too." Rani apologised with a sad smile. "Trouble is, we're always going to fight aren't we? Isn't that what mates do?"

"Yeah…" Clyde nodded, a frown marring his face. It was now or never. "Listen, Rani, I have something I have to tell you."

"Yeah?" Rani looked at him expectantly.

"I've found something!" Sky explained, her scanner beeping rapidly. Clyde and Rani broke their gaze, embarrassed, and quickly crossed the hallway towards Sky.

"What is it, Sky?"

"Dymolectic energy!" Sky chirruped. "Traces of it! They're usually connected to…"

"A matter relay!" Sarah Jane's voice cried out. The trio of teenagers turned to see her grinning at them, her wristwatch scanner open. "Well done, Sky!"

"Sarah Jane!" Rani gasped. "What happened to you?"

"It's a long story," Sarah Jane scowled. "I've had a feeling about Smithy for a while now. Good thing he didn't think to take off the tracker on his tie! Come on, we have to find that diamond!"

* * *

"...There." Smithy panted, beads of sweat glistening off his forehead as the indices whirred to life, a blue ethereal glow illuminating the warehouse. His eyes were drawn to the giant screen placed behind the lights, which was unnoticeable before without the proper lighting. Smithy held his tongue. He couldn't question anything if he wanted to keep breathing.

"Ha ha!" Ozmo chittered. "I had my doubts, but you've proved yourself. Here," he tossed a shot towards Smithy, who stumbled to catch it, "A proper one this time. You may as well apply it before I change my mind and shoot you."

" _So, this energy thing, what's it for?"_

" _It's for a long range teleport, Clyde."_

Smithy froze, the nozzle of the shot a breath away from his arm. His eyes flew to the monitor and his heart sank when grainy footage of his friends encapsulated the screen. They were in the other room.

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Ozmo chittered darkly, reaching for the gun he had discarded earlier.

"Wait!" a panicked Smithy cried out. "Let me talk to them! They're only here because of the energy trail!"

"Fine," Ozmo replied easily, a little too easily. "Go on! Before I shoot you!"

Smithy quickly scuttled out, his chest tightening with effort. Ozmo watched him leave. When he was sure he was alone, he cackled, spinning to activate the portal.

"Fools, the lot of them!"

* * *

"I am so very sorry." Smithy stammered as he crashed through the door, to the gang's surprise. "Oh, here." He tossed the sonic lipstick over to Sarah Jane. "Am I forgiven now?"

"You!" Clyde cried out, attempting to lunge at him. "Who do you think you are?!"

"Clyde, stay _back_!" Rani ordered, struggling to hold him back.

"Smithy, what are you doing?" Sarah Jane asked, her tone demanding answers. "I want answers. _Now_."

"Well, there's this alien called Ozmo- he's the one who made me human- who said he was human and needed help and he offered to make me human. I really wanted to be human, I love it! Much better than being a Xylok and so I would just help him out and-" Smithy paused his diatribe and cringed. "...and that sounded much better in my head."

"You know there's quite a hefty penalty for assisting felons."

The group spun around to find Kai watching them, swinging his knife casually. The air became tenser, and Rani pulled Sky closer towards her instinctively.

"Oh, not you!" Sarah Jane growled. "I thought we had a deal!"

"We did, how about we call it a tie and be done with it?" Kai asked, stalking forward before Sarah Jane could respond. "You could get put in the prison on the Shadow Proclamation, 'Smithy', or the poison planet of Mebuki. So many options: what do you do to a felon? So many options, but it doesn't matter. They need _Ozmo_ alive, but they never said anything about hired help."

"Stop it!" Sky exclaimed, stepping towards Kai defiantly, despite her friend's cries of assertion. "Leave him alone!"

Kai froze, staring straight at the girl. He looked like he had just been slapped. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to formulate words.

"But...you-"

Before Kai could continue, the entire warehouse shook unexpectedly, surprising everyone. A deep, pulsating noise reverberated off the walls. A bright light trickled out of the room Smithy had previously exited.

"What's that?" Rani asked cautiously.

"It's starting." Sarah Jane realised with horror. "Come on, we don't have much time!"

The gang, accompanied by a staggering Smithy and surprisingly silent Kai, entered the main warehouse just before another tremor sent them staggering. Ozmo was by his console, watching them and laughing maniacally.

"Having fun?" the Ozmoid chittered, his mask bouncing sporadically. Kai snapped out of his stupor and growled, launching a knife at the alien. The knife bounced uselessly off a translucent barrier. "You really should've known better. Don't you need me alive?"

"They never said anything about needing you back in one piece!" Kai roared. Ozmo simply cackled in response.

"Ozmo, what are you doing?" Smithy gasped as he staggered again. He suddenly felt very dizzy. "You said you were leaving!"

"Oh, I was just leaving!" Ozmo responded dully. Sarah Jane was less trusting.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" she demanded. "You've used him like a puppet!"

"Sarah Jane?" Rani called out nervously, her eyes scanning the equipment beside the Ozmoid. "Isn't that a bit too much for one teleport?"

"Ooh, a know it all!" Ozmo gasped dramatically before erupting into another fit of giggles. "She's right though, I'm not leaving. I'm bringing!"

"What do you mean?" Sarah Jane asked warily.

"Oh, don't you know?" Ozmo inquired contemptuously. "Has your little buddy been keeping mum? Naughty!"

"I don't understand."

"This scuzzy little planet is dull, boring, but it provides excellent slaves. All those tiny little humans and their inability to slow their reproduction cycle- it's perfect!"

"What, you want to turn us into slaves?" Clyde spluttered.

"Not just me!" Ozmo giggled darkly. "There are loads of creatures that have a grudge with this miserable pit stop of a planet. Who says I need to have all the fun? I'm fine with just killing the odd humans now and then!"

"I understand now." Sarah Jane whispered, the truth dawning on her. "You've made Mr Smith fully human so he can't monitor the skies and keep aliens at bay! That's why you gave him the correct serum!"

"Correct again!"

"This is insane." Clyde growled.

"I won't let you do this!" Sarah Jane cried out defiantly, shattering the force field with the correct frequency from the sonic lipstick. She ran for the controls.

"Oh no you don't!" Ozmo cried out, pulling out his gun and pointing it directly at her head. "One more step and I fry you! And don't think I haven't forgotten, shadow boy!"

A barrier of energy trapped Kai. The man growled, slamming his fist against the imposing wall to no avail.

"Stop what you're doing!" Sarah Jane demanded.

"No." Ozmo responded bluntly.

"Sarah Jane!" Sky cried out,

"No, stay back, all of you!"

"She's right, kids!" Ozmo gurgled. "One step and she's pulverised! Haha!"

"This planet is _not_ for sale!"

"It is now!"

The room shook vigorously, sending Smithy toppling into Clyde and Rani, who grudgingly held him upright.

"I hope you're pleased." Rani scowled, glaring down at Smithy's dusty brown hair. "For someone who's so clever, you have no common sense!"

"Is that what all that stuff with my mother was?" Clyde demanded furiously. "A cheap test for all your new emotions?"

"No, it isn't like that!" Smithy wheezed, clutching onto the shot and attempting to support his own weight. His insistence was falling on deaf ears. "I want to live life, she does too, you told me! I want to be human...I'm just starting to live…"

"If you take that shot, you'll be a slave! Just like us!" Sky reasoned urgently. "You can't do this! You'll be making Mrs Langer a slave!"

In a split second, Smithy knew what he had to do. Stumbling to his feet, he clumsily threw the shot, which collided with Ozmo's face. The shot exploded in a burst of crackles, obscuring the Ozmoid's face as he howled in terror, firing his weapon rapidly.

"Get down!" Sarah Jane ordered, running back and pulling her younger compatriots to safety. Smithy did not stop. He staggered his way to the control panel, narrowly missing a beam of energy that barely signed his face. He pushed the weapon out of the alien's hand and collapsed by the console.

"Smithy, what are doing?!" Sky cried out.

"It doesn't matter what I want." Smithy muttered. "I have a primary purpose. Given to me by Sarah Jane. To protect and defend the Earth! You made me forget that!" Smithy roared as he pulled the diamond out of the teleport unit and tossing it over to Sarah Jane. Alarms started to blare and the teleport sparked and exploded.

"You fool!" Ozmo cried out. "You removed the reflector crystal! It's gonna explode! We're going to die and it's all your fault!"

"Well, that makes my job easier." Kai muttered.

"Clyde- promise me. Look after your mother." Smithy pleaded. "I won't feel for her after this. I won't even know how I felt. Listen, all of you, I'm glad this happened- because life's for living- and don't any of you forget it! Goodbye!"

With his speech complete, Smithy plunged his hands into the console. Sarah Jane's eyes flew to the screen. The Xylok crystal fluttered across the screen and settled, triumphant. A bright white light encapsulated the warehouse and Sarah Jane squeezed her eyes shut.

When she next opened them, the Xylok crystal was sat on the console, shining its array of colours victoriously. The blaring alarms ceased and a pregnant pause washed over the room.

Sarah Jane held her breath. Waiting, hoping.

" _Attention, attention,_ " Mr Smith's monotone voice rung out and Sarah Jane let out a whoop of joy. " _This is Earth, Mr Smith speaking. You will disregard any previous message. Earth is defended. Refusal to comply will be met with resistance. This is your one, final warning. Any hostile action will be repelled._ "

"We did it!" Sky cheered, bouncing onto her feet.

"Mr Smith's a crystal again!" Rani gasped.

"Never mind that, look at him!" Clyde exclaimed, pointing at the crumpled Ozmo. The alien staggered to his feet, noticeably human.

" _It is apparent that Ozmo was telling the truth about the dose. The mutagen has affected his biology permanently. He is trapped as a human."_

"NO!" Ozmo cried out. "Such a backwards species! This is all your fault!" he attempted to lunge at Sarah Jane. Before he could get close, Kai wrapped his arm around his neck and dragged him back.

"I wouldn't try it." the merc sneered. "With your galactic criminal record, I don't think you're gonna be lasting too long wherever you go."

" _I have a teleport pending for the Shadow Proclamation outpost in Krulka 9._ " Mr Smith established. Kai nodded resolutely.

"Maybe I was wrong about you after all." the man noted.

" _Quite."_

"You got what you deserved!" Sky declared, glaring at Ozmo. The former Ozmoid stumbled, staring at her with wide eyes.

"You! You stay away from me…!" Ozmo squawked. "Can't you see who she is? Why isn't she being-"

Kai handcuffed Ozmo and threw him into the blue fissure that materialised near the charred console.

"He talks too much." Kai growled.

"What did he mean?" Sky asked worriedly.

"Don't listen to him Sky, it was probably another lie." Rani assured her.

"Well, Miss Smith, it was a pleasure," Kai saluted jauntily, "But now I've got a crazy boss to return to. She's crazier than me!"

"Listen to me, Kai." Sarah Jane urged. "You don't have to work for the Shadow Proclamation if you don't want to. I have a friend, he could help-"

"No, no." Kai sighed sadly, twirling his knife aimlessly. "You don't understand. I have to, but it's fine, for now. I pay my penance and act as their ambassador/assassin and they shorten my prison sentence. Plus, I get to visit Earth in my leisure time."

"Wait, you've been here before?" Rani inquired.

"Yup." Kai popped the 'p'. "It's hideous and boring but it has its moments."

"Why are you in their prison?" Sarah Jane inquired.

"A stupid mistake," Kai muttered, rubbing his arm absentmindedly. "A stupid war, stupid mistake- everything about it was _stupid._ As long as it's not Stormcage, I don't mind working as their veiled slave."

Sarah Jane nodded, moving towards the Xylok crystal embedded in the console. Clyde and Rani joined her but Kai held Sky back and bent down to talk to her. He noted the lack of fear in the girl's eyes. He also noted something else. Something that made his blood run cold and goosebumps to grow on his flesh.

"You must be strong." He whispered cryptically. Sky looked at him, confused. Plark the Skullion had told her the same thing. Before Sky could demand an answer, the elusive Kai snapped his fingers and disappeared.

* * *

"Mr Smith, I need you!"

Everything happened as they normally did. The chimney opened itself, a burst of exhaust that ruffled her hair, that horrible fanfare, and the supercomputer, Mr Smith.

" _All systems are functioning normally, Sarah Jane_." Mr Smith informed the journalist. Sarah Jane nodded happily.

"How do you feel, Mr Smith?" Sky asked, sitting next to Rani on the attic steps.

"Yeah, what's it like being a crystal after being human?" Rani added.

" _My functions were temporarily impaired but I have recollection of the events. The Ozmoid known as Ozmo attempted to convert the population of humanity into slaves for himself and several notable aliens who have a long-term grudge on the Earth and its inhabitants."_

"Right, that's enough talk," Sarah Jane declared, turning to Sky and holding out her hand. Sky accepted the gesture. "We have to return the diamond. We're off to the police station"

"Okay, see you soon." Rani nodded.

The Smith women soon left, leaving Rani alone in the attic with Mr Smith. She stared at the monitor, biting her lip. She had to check. She had to make sure.

"Mr Smith...has Clyde ever...said anything...about me?" Rani asked slowly, struggling to find the words.

" _That information is not relevant, Rani._ " Mr Smith stated bluntly. Rani chuckled.

"You really are back to normal, aren't you?" she smiled forlornly. It was worth a shot. Maybe it had all been a lie. She sighed.

* * *

"I'm telling you, mum, he had to leave!" Clyde insisted. The Langer duo were throwing the bins bags out. "It was an emergency!"

"Bet it was." Carla scoffed. "A younger, prettier emergency."

"Mum-"

"I don't wanna talk about it. Not like it's the first time, but it's definitely the last."

Clyde froze, heartbroken.

He had to do something.

* * *

"Don't worry, I said your goodbyes." Clyde told Mr Smith later on in the attic. Sky was over at Rani's and Sarah Jane was following up on a case.

" _I'm afraid I do not understand, Clyde."_ Mr Smith informed him.

"Tell me what you know about Carla Langer."

" _Carla Langer is your mother,_ " the computer replied, streaming information on the monitor. " _She was born Carla Nicole Dixon in Brentford, Middlesex. She is a human female, age 35...she has one sister, Melba Colleen Dixon and was formerly married to Paul Langer."_

"Is that all?"

" _Again, I do not understand._ "

"You did," Clyde said, "You really did, and I found a way to let her know."

* * *

"Thank you," Carla smiled as she accepted the large bouquet of flowers. She closed the door, and noticed a note nestled between the carnations. She plucked it up and read:

" _To my wonderful Carla. I'm so sorry, I can't tell you why but I had to leave, and I can't be with you. I'll never forget you. Love always, Smithy. Oh, and always remember- life's for living!"_

Carla allowed the tears to flow freely from her face. Just this once.

Life was for living, after all.

* * *

 **The Sarah Jane Adventures returns in The Thirteenth Floor.**

* * *

Kai skulked through the corridors of the Shadow Proclamation's main headquarters, the uncomfortably tattoo emblazoned on his arm beginning to fade. Another successful mission complete.

"You can't keep us here!" a female voice yelled.

"I can do what I like." the Shadow Architect replied coolly.

Kai paused and listened to the familiar voices.

"There's an epidemic on Earth, you _have_ to let us go!" a third voice piped up.

"This isn't in your rules!" the first voice agreed.

"Miss Jackson, I think you'll find that I am quite capable of bending the rules for the greater good," the Shadow Architect hissed firmly.

"You will both stay for the trial." The gruff voice of a Judoon growled.

"Where is Kai?!" the first female voice demanded.

Kai walked into the room, confused, The sight left him speechless. What were they doing here?

"Maria? Fern?"


	3. The Thirteenth Floor Part One

It was a quiet day in the _London Evening Messenger_ office block. Such a thing was not unheard of at this time of the evening. The clock ticked by and the janitor swept the floor with his mop, hunched over and ignored. Two journalists were still around, working late. The room was uncomfortably silent barring the clicking of keys on the keyboard and the sipping sound of coffees being consumed as the two hurried to get everything finished on time.

"Look at the time," Rick, the older of the two, cursed as he checked his watch. _9:40 PM._ He turned to his co-worker. "I'm going to be late! Help me out, Arthur!"

"But I'm just a junior reporter!" Arthur protested, looking at Rick in disdain. Arthur was well aware of Rick's date with Lisa Parker, a clerk at the Mayor's office. He also knew Rick would never finish on time to meet her, though he kept that to himself. "I don't have the experience. Besides, you're supposed to be training me!"

Rick ignored him. He grabbed his coat and walked over to the teenager. "Consider this your lesson of the day." With that, he left his notes on Arthur's desk and left the room. Arthur huffed in annoyance. He picked up the notes, and flicked through them absently.

* * *

Rick strolled through the corridor happily, whistling a jaunty tune. He pressed the elevator button, waiting patiently for the lift to arrive. Today was a good day. From the corner of his eye, Rick noticed the janitor, Arnold, stooped over mopping the floor.

"You missed a spot, Arnold." Rick teased. The elevator chimed open, prompting Rick to step inside.

Arnold stopped mopping the floor, watching as the doors slid closed. He tilted his head to the side, nictitating membranes snapping across his eyes.

* * *

Rick selected the ground floor and waited patiently as the lift began its descent. The lift moved slowly. Down… down… down… then it stopped precariously between floors twelve and fourteen. There was no floor thirteen. Rick huffed. This was preposterous, he was going to be late! He jabbed at the ground floor button again, but the lift refused to move.

"Stupid thing!" Rick growled under his breath. The elevator lurched suddenly and Rick was nearly thrown off his feet. He grabbed the railing to steady himself. The red text flickering on the panel stated _13_. He whimpered, slightly terrified.

Slowly, the elevator doors slid open and light streamed through. Rick stared, transfixed. It was absolutely impossible. His wonder quickly morphed into horror. He screamed, though it was short-lived.

* * *

Arthur paused flicking through the notes when he heard a strange sounding roar. Looking through the window into the corridor, he was greeted with the unspectacular image of Arnold mopping the floor. He frowned, returning to his note reading.

It must have been his imagination.

Gita Chandra was washing the plates, humming a little tune to herself when Rani walked into the room with a confident smile and her best clothes. She coughed, catching her mother's attention.

"Oh!" Gita beamed. "Look at you! So beautiful. You look so grown up."

"You think?" Rani smiled. "I really want to look like a reporter for my first day. Make a good impression."

"You look fine, my darling," Gita assured her, smiling sadly. "To think that you'll be gone soon, off to live your own life without me or you dad getting in the way."

"Oh, don't be so sure, mum." Rani teased. "I'll be scrounging off you both for years to come."

"Now, don't be silly, Rani!" Gita chastised her.

"Yes, yes, I know," Rani smiled. "I'm off, can't exactly keep Sarah Jane waiting. Bye!"

"Have fun!"

Rani left the house and crossed the road, where Sarah Jane, Sky and Clyde were waiting for her.

"Wow!" Sky gasped in awe. "You look nice, Rani!"

"Nice, eh?" Rani smirked. "You really are Luke's sister."

"Nice isn't quite the word I'd use," Clyde smirked. "You look like a librarian with your new threads."

"Oh, shut up, Clyde!" Rani huffed, shoving him lightly. Clyde chuckled, the mischievous look in his eyes transitioning into something warmer. Rani couldn't quite place it.

"Nah, you look great." he assured her with a fond - if a little smitten - smile.

"So, here goes Rani Chandra, investigative reporter, to her first day of work experience! Maybe I'll luck out and get to do some actual work!"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure, investigative reporter," Sarah Jane warned, "A week of work experience? First day? You'll most likely be making the tea."

"Right, of course," Rani nodded, her smile waning slightly.

"Come on then, you don't want to be late for your first day!" Sarah Jane said as she got into her car. Rani joined her and the two set off. Clyde and Sky watched them go.

"I hope she has fun." Sky beamed.

"Yeah, me too." Clyde muttered slowly, watching the car drive off with a sad smile.

* * *

"Clyde, what do you think I'll be when I'm older?" Sky asked her older friend as they walked towards Park Vale Comprehensive. "I can't quite decide."

"At the rate you're going, you could be all grown up by next week!" Clyde quipped, grinning proudly of himself.

"I'm not sure I want to grow up," Sky confessed, "I like being a kid."

"Yeah, I do too," Clyde agreed sadly. "It's alright for you, you have ages to go but it's almost over for me, I know it is. Look at Luke, he's already in uni! Rani's not far behind - applying to all sorts, left, right and centre, she is."

"You don't want to lose her," Sky noted.

"Er, no," Clyde scoffed. "No way!" his mood shifted again and he looked down at the ground in despair. "I know I should be looking at art colleges- but I keep putting it off. I don't want to grow up. Me and Rani, we help Sarah Jane save the world more times than Simon Cowell gets his teeth whitened. I don't want that to change."

Sky reached over and held his hand, hoping to provide some semblance of comfort. Eventually, the pair reached the school and were forced to part ways, promising to meet each other after school.

* * *

Sarah Jane's car pulled up in the drive of the _London Evening Messenger._ She gazed at it thoughtfully.

"Are you okay, Sarah Jane?" Rani asked her curiously.

"I'm fine, Rani," Sarah Jane assured her without taking her eyes off the building. "This building has changed a lot since my days here, that's all."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Sarah Jane grinned at her. "Fleet Street is one of those places with a sense of purpose built into it and then this office block - it looks out of its time."

"You think?" Rani admired the building. "I quite like it."

"Yes, well, enough of the building," Sarah Jane turned to Rani. "I could go in with you- introduce you, if you'd like?"

"No," Rani stated firmly. "I need to get used to doing things by myself. I want to stand on my own two feet, however shaky they may be."

"Be confident in yourself, Rani!" Sarah Jane reassured her. "You're very talented and extremely capable."

"Thanks, Sarah Jane," Rani smiled. "Well, I'd best be off. Don't want to keep them waiting on my first day!"

Sarah Jane watched as the Rani unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car. She waved when Rani reached the door and waited until she was inside before she pulled out of the drive.

* * *

Rani admired the building interior. It was a typical glass and steel office. People streamed in and out, progressing with their day. Sunlight streamed through the windows and she felt a little overwhelmed by the chatter that surrounded her. Spotting a receptionist's desk, Rani decided to stop gawking and take action.

The wooden desk was neat, the computer state of the art and the general area tidy. The receptionist, a blonde petite woman, was whispering furiously with a teenaged boy. Rani edged closer curiously, straining her ears to catch the conversation.

"...And he never showed up!" the boy whispered feverishly. "Lisa Parker _actually_ called the office asking for him. He never attended the date- and that's not even the worst of it! His car was found in the car park, riddled with parking tickets! He didn't even make it to his car!"

"Look, Arthur, I know you've been dying for a scoop for ages, but this has got to stop!" the receptionist hissed. "Stop digging into conspiracy theories. Your aunt will throw a fit!"

"But it's not a conspiracy-"

"Hello!" the receptionist exclaimed cheerily upon noticing Rani, cutting Arthur off. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, right, sorry!" Rani laughed nervously, her eyes briefly flitting over the blonde boy as he breathed in and out slowly, calming himself. His distorted face soon relaxed. "I'm Rani Chandra, the student from Park Vale? I start work experience today?"

"Rani Chandra?" Arthur repeated. "You're with me. I'm Arthur Matthews, I've been sent to collect you. If you'd care to follow me…"

Rani complied and followed the boy to an elevator.

"Our regular boss is...indisposed at the moment." Arthur explained as they entered the elevator. "So we'll be working under Chantelle - she's the boss lady for now."

"Right," Rani nodded, eyeing the elevator panel. Her eyes locked onto a specific fact. "There's no thirteenth floor."

"Oh, yeah. The builders were probably superstitious or something." Arthur stated dismissively.

"Triskaidekaphobia."

"What?"

"Triskaidekaphobia." Rani repeated confidently. "It's the fear of the number thirteen."

"How do you know that?" Arthur asked, staring at her weirdly.

"A friend taught me." Rani stated simply. "So, hey, what was all that about downstairs?"

"Oh, you heard that?"

"Yeah… sorry," Rani grinned sheepishly. "So, my question?"

"You know how I mentioned the boss, Rick?" Arthur asked her. Rani nodded. "He vanished last night."

"Vanished how?"

"Come off it, you heard the story," Arthur scoffed. "No one knows! He just did! And there's more…"

"What is it?" Rani asked curiously. Arthur looked at her gravely.

"Meet me during lunch and I'll explain it all. You're gonna need some incentive to get through the morning."

"It can't be _that_ bad," Rani scoffed as the lift pinged open. Stepping out, she nearly collided with a janitor who was watching the elevator eagerly. "Oh, sorry! I should've watched where I was going."

"Quite alright, miss," Arnold nodded humbly, turning to Arthur. "Good morning, sir."

"Hey, Arnold." Arthur mumbled without sparing the man a thought, grabbing Rani by the arm and pulling her along. "Come on, we're going to be late."

Arnold watched them go, a sneer twisting his lips.

"That was a bit rude," Rani hissed once they were out of earshot of the janitor.

"Oh, he's used to it," Arthur said dismissively. "You haven't even seen rude yet."

The pair entered a room and Rani was immediately greeted with a hubbub of voices as people typed on computers furiously and yelled at each other to work on something or other to meet deadlines and create schedules. Rani stood, a little stunned at the sight. She was actually standing in a room with journalists. A group of journalists. She laughed quietly to herself.

"This is amazing!" Rani whispered to Arthur. The boy smiled slightly at her enthusiasm. It was refreshing, he had almost forgotten what it was like to be enthusiastic in such a depressing environment. The smile died out as soon as an imposing looking woman approached them with a scowl on her face.

"Aww, isn't that sweet?" the woman cooed insincerely at Arthur. "You decided to help the new girl! You're late. You're on double time."

"But you're the one who-"

"I didn't ask for an answer, Arthur." the woman scowled. "Go, _now_." the boy hurriedly scuttled away and the woman turned her piercing gaze to Rani. "I suppose you're the Park Vale work experience student?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"I didn't ask for an answer." The woman held her hand up. "Chantelle Matthews, remember the name, I'm your boss for the week."

"Oh, okay. I'm -"

"Irrelevant. You speak when I tell you to." Chantelle interrupted her with a glare. "Look around you, girl. You may have made friends with my nephew but this is a working zone. You're here for work _experience_. That means you're here to get experience so that you can try to get a job in the future _;_ not to lark about. Got it?"

Rani nodded.

"Good. Now go fetch me a coffee."

* * *

"So much for work experience, I've only been fetching coffee and papers the last few hours!" Rani protested over the phone.

"Well, Sarah Jane did warn you, so you've only got yourself to blame," Clyde informed her jovially, grinning as Rani huffed on the other side.

"Whatever," Rani said before looking around cautiously as she fetched Chantelle yet another coffee. The other journalists had been no help at all. When she had tried to introduce herself, they had all simply brushed her off and continued with their work. Arthur had been the only one kind enough to talk to her on the rare occasions Rani wasn't running around fetching beverages. "I'll tell you what though, something strange is happening in this building."

"Strange how?"

"People are disappearing and the police haven't a clue!" Rani explained excitedly.

"Oh boy, doesn't that sound familiar," Clyde sighed. "Are children disappearing too?"

"That's not funny, Clyde," Rani reprimanded him, as she picked up the coffee cup. "There's something going on here, and I have to find out what."

"What about Sarah Jane?"

"She's trying to get another interview from that Noah guy." Rani sighed. "I've left her a message. Meet me here for lunch? I'm off in five minutes."

"It's a good thing I'm already on my way!" Clyde said happily.

"What? Why?"

"You thought I'd not have lunch with you after your first day? As if!"

"You're a dummy." Rani flushed.

"You wish!" Clyde snorted. "Look, I'm almost here. Meet you on the bottom floor?"

"Okay, see you soon." Rani smiled to herself as she hung up. She returned to Chantelle's office with her cup of coffee, reaching to knock on the door when it flew open.

"Ah, newbie. I'm off for lunch. You're on break." Chantelle told her before skulking off. Rani stood in the doorway, confused.

"Don't worry, she does that," Arthur smiled gingerly as he approached her. "You get used to it."

"She's a bit…"

"Bossy?" Arthur supplied.

"I was gonna go with demanding." Rani confessed. The two chuckled.

"I did warn you it was crazy here."

"Crazy doesn't cut it." Rani quipped, her eyes narrowing when she noticed the folder in Arthur's hands. "Is that it?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Arthur asked cautiously.

"Oh, don't do that, that'll just make me want to know even more!" Rani chuckled.

"Okay," Arthur nodded uneasily, striding over to a desk and sitting on the chair. Rani followed, sitting in a desk chair opposite him. "It's all in here. The _London Evening Messenger_. This office block has got a reputation for people going missing. Look," Arthur opened the book, "It was built ten years ago and people have just vanished ever since."

"How so?"

"People would come into work and just disappear!" Arthur explained. Rani frowned and took the book from his hands, flicking the page.

"The cars were left in the car park," Rani read, frowning when she digested the words. "Like Rick's."

"It isn't just this one either!" Arthur exclaimed, snatching the book back, "Look, before they revived the _London Evening Messenger,_ there was a hotel here."

" _Family disappears from Messenger Hotel_." Rani read aloud.

"From room number thirteen!" Arthur pointed out. "Something's happening here and people are just ignoring it! But I can't, I have to find out the truth. This could be my big scoop!"

"Okay, stay here." Rani ordered, standing from her chair and walk towards the door.

"What - where are you going?!" Arthur demanded.

"I have to meet up with a friend. We'll go have a look around, find out what's wrong."

"I'm helping too. This is my case!" Arthur protested.

"I know, but we can help!" Rani told him firmly. "Just wait here, I'll be back!"

* * *

"You're joking, right?" Clyde inquired, his sandwich frozen an inch away from his mouth.

"No, Clyde. I told you something was happening here, didn't I?" Rani sighed, stepping into the elevator, quickly followed by her male friend. She pressed the button for the eighteenth floor. In her rush, she had jumped down all the steps and was too tired to run up.

"Apollo 13 had Tom Hanks in it," Clyde quipped as the elevator began its ascent. "That would explain a lot."

"Clyde, seriously, now is not the time -" Rani was cut off when the elevator lights blinked out rapidly. The whole area juddered violently, sending her crashing into the wall. It shook again, throwing her off balance and sending her crashing into Clyde. Rani let out a scream as the elevator continued its violent course and, with one final crash, the elevator stopped. Clyde and Rani lapsed into silence, breathing heavily, too scared to speak.

" _Floor thirteen, floor thirteen, floor thirteen."_ the elevator voice module announced monotonously.

"But there isn't a thirteenth floor." Clyde murmured. "That's what you told me."

" _Doors opening."_

The elevator doors slowly opened and what was outside them shocked the pair.

"That's impossible…" Rani whispered.

It was a forest. A thick, green rainforest that spanned beyond their eyesight. Mist danced around the roots, creating a dense blanket that made it difficult to see. Birds chittered aimlessly from perches neither Clyde nor Rani could locate. They appeared to be in a clearing, a path marked out for them by tangled grass and broken tree roots.

"I don't think we're in Ealing." Clyde breathed.

"Where are we?" Rani asked. "What could this be? It's just a lift!"

"It's not exactly teleport material, that's for sure, but the people had to disappear somehow." Clyde pointed out. "Maybe they're still around."

Tentatively, the pair stepped out, examining the change in environment, and the lift disappeared in a burst of fire.

"No!" Rani cried out, running to the spot, hopelessly willing the life to return. "No, this can't happen…"

"Rani," Clyde said sadly, pulling her arm. "It's not there, let's go look around. Maybe it's just… I dunno, teleported?"

* * *

Arnold cheered as the lift opened with the occupants emptied out. Two more people claimed. He bellowed in celebration, his perception filter stripped away to reveal the garishly grey skinned humanoid underneath.

Arthur watched the transformation in horror from his position in the office room, quietly shuffling to a hiding place behind the desks. He wasn't sure why but the creature frightened him, and he felt the need to hide from it. The fear burrowed deep into his guts and gnawed away, his brain whispering stories and facts in his head.

 _The creature is harmless. The creature is nice._

 _The creature will kill you._

* * *

A loud bellow rang out across the clearing, and the floor vibrated with the beat of heavy footsteps. Clyde and Rani stopped and gripped each other, their eyes skittering over entry points, trying to locate the source.

"I don't like this," Rani whimpered.

"I'm with you on that," Clyde agreed. "This is way freaky,"

"Over here!" Rani whispered, dragging him over to a small clearing. They clambered down the steps and waited, with bated breaths. A moment later, Clyde was struck by an idea and fished out his phone.

"It doesn't work," he hissed.

"Well, of course it doesn't work, Clyde, we're in a forest!" Rani retorted.

Their bickering was cut off no sooner than it began when the sound of logs crashing to the floor filled their ears. Spinning around, they came face to face with an old woman.

"It's… it's you." the woman gasped, staring at Rani. "It's you! People! People!"

"Who are you?" Rani asked. "How do you know me?"

"It's been _forty-six years_."

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

"My name…" the woman paused, gathering her thoughts. Eventually, she abandoned the thought and produced a card attached to a lanyard. The laminated paper had peeled with age, the words faded, making it almost unreadable."Chantelle. Chantelle Matthews."

Rani looked shocked at this, finding herself unable to comprehend the idea of being stuck in one place forever. She turned and looked at Clyde, hoping for some kind of reassurance, proof that the woman was lying, anything at all. Maybe the lift would return, or perhaps Sarah Jane could get to them somehow. But he couldn't provide any, he just looked back at her, forlorn.

The bellowing noise thundered through the forest again, louder than before. And the heavy footsteps seemed to be approaching, the thudding shaking the ground around them. Closer, and closer, and closer.

"Chantelle?" Rani gasped, turning to the aged woman and trying her best to drown out the noise. "What do you mean, how are you here?"

"The elevator. It _took me_." Chantelle whispered. "It took me and - it's been forty-six years!"

"You left a couple minutes ago!" Rani protested.

"I counted every single day," Chantelle wailed. "Forty-six years I've been stuck here. And now you're stuck too."

 **To Be Continued...**


	4. The Thirteenth Floor Part Two

**A/N: Huge thank you to Magges for pointing out I had forgotten to list this as a crossover fic instead of just a singular, Doctor Who one!**

* * *

 _Have you ever been scared that one day you'll wake up from your life? As if it were just a dream? And then you realise that after all of that time, you'd been asleep? You discover that all of the pain you endured was for nothing. It was useless. Everything you are, everything you wanted to be just… fades away like a dream, forever lost in the endless struggle._

 _This is the story of the Thirteenth Floor._

 _This is the story of Clyde Langer and Rani Chandra._

* * *

"I don't understand." Rani stuttered, "So, you've been here forty-six years, why? Didn't the lift ever return?"

"No!" Chantelle replied despairingly.

"Are you sure?" Rani tried. Clyde edged closer during the exchange, gently pulling the card from the frail woman's hands and examining it. He flicked it over repeatedly, desperately searching for a discrepancy, anything to calm Rani's nerves. "It didn't pop up ever again?"

"No! I wouldn't be here if it had!"

"But -"

"Rani." Clyde interrupted her, a horrible truth dawning on him. Two pairs of eyes fell on him.

"What is it?"

"The noise. It's stopped."

Rani paused, listening intently. She strained her ears, trying to detect the thunderous noise but couldn't find it. The bellowing had stopped, replaced by deathly silence. Her eyes widened in shock when a shadow fell over the trio. They slowly turned to look at the source. A creature with a round head and two horns tilted its head, staring at them. Its beady black eyes flickered over her, then Clyde, then Chantelle and back again. The horns protruding from both sides of its head glinted in the sunlight. The world stilled, both parties locked in an endless staredown.

The moment was abruptly broken when Chantelle ran away wailing. The creature roared, startling Clyde and Rani out of their stupor.

"Come on!" Clyde exclaimed, grabbing Rani's hand and dragging her along. They ran, following the path Chantelle had taken. Their breathing was laboured, the shadow that had previously blanketed them was gone, but they could still hear the stomping, tailing them. The mist obscured their vision, but the duo pressed on, desperate to escape the threat. They turned the corner, ready to follow Chantelle when a loud, bone-crushing stomp prompted them to freeze in their tracks. A blood curdling scream made their blood run cold.

Taking action, Rani grabbed Clyde by the sleeve and pulled him into a small alcove beneath two trees. They crawled into it and sat very still, breathing heavily.

"What is that?" Rani asked in a heated whisper.

"I don't know!" Clyde hissed back. "How am I supposed to know?"

"You fight aliens on a regular basis!"

"Right back at you!" Clyde retorted.

They paused and listened intently.

"Do you think it's gone?" Rani asked her male cohort. Clyde simply shrugged. After a wordless exchange, the duo slowly crept out of their hiding spot, glancing around nervously. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. No rustling trees, no tweeting birds, no roaring creatures. Nothing.

"I think we lost it." Clyde whispered, scanning the environment one last time to confirm his statement. "Yup, definitely think we lost it."

"Yeah, well I don't exactly want to stick around and wait for it to find us." Rani admitted, grabbing Clyde by the sleeve of his school uniform. "Come on."

* * *

It was a quiet day on Bannerman Road. Gita and Haresh Chandra were unloading their flower van, eager to finish and return to the warmth of their home. Sadie Miller skipped down the road, clearly on her way to the shops. Sarah Jane was still away, attempting to snag a meeting with some big-wig official. Sky sat in her bedroom, noting all of this, waiting for something to happen. It was strange sometimes, just sitting around on a quiet day unable to do anything. She was born for adventure - quite literally. Her homework was placed neatly on her desk, her handwriting scrawled all over them as she slowly completed it.

She was bored. Clyde had assured her that he and Rani would keep her company and entertain her after their work was completed but they hadn't turned up. Sky turned to her mirror, staring at it intently, searching for a glimpse of a distant memory.

Eventually, she decided to abandon her completed homework and trudged up the steps to the attic. Their own batcave. She adored it. A hub of activity. Alien gadgets were scattered across the attic in a fashion that only Sarah Jane truly understood. Her hands brushed over the black marks that indicated her height measurements, something she herself had insisted upon after Rani had explained the mechanics of the technique.

Sky turned to the chimney. It was perfectly ordinary; nobody would even suspect what was hidden inside.

"Mr Smith, I need you," Sky recited aloud. The chimney slowly opened, a burst of steam spurting out and ruffling her long strands of chocolate brown hair. The monitor came into view, the crystalline screensaver flickering in a practised motion.

" _Sky. I trust you have completed your homework?_ " ITALIC SPEECH, ALL MR SMITH LINES

"You never used to ask that question," Sky noted. "Have your circuits been scrambled because you were a human?"

" _I can assure you that all systems are functioning normally, and I'd quite like them to continue to function normally."_ Mr Smith stated coolly, with a veiled jab at Sky at the end.

Sky simply sat down on the steps and smiled, staring at the computer fondly. The room lapsed into silence, the pair saying nothing. The moment was broken by the sound of the front door opening.

"I'm home!" the distinctive voice of Sarah Jane Smith called out. "Sky?"

"Up here!" Sky cried out loudly. She could hear Sarah Jane hurrying up the steps, bursting into the attic, looking panicked.

"Mr Smith, I need you to run a scan on Fleet Street for Clyde and Rani. If they're not there, scan the entirety of London, if not there, try Earth, anywhere. Just find them."

" _Of course, Sarah Jane."_

"What's wrong?" an alarmed Sky inquired, rising from her seat on the steps, all her questions about Sarah Jane's day replaced with a different, more anxiety inducing, queries. "What's happened?"

"Rani sent me a message about the office. People are disappearing from it. I tried to call her, but the calls are not going through." Sarah Jane explained hurriedly.

" _My scans are complete."_ Mr Smith informed Sarah Jane monotonously. " _I have not located Clyde or Rani_."

"That's not possible. Re-scan," Sarah Jane ordered.

" _I have repeated the scan."_

"And?"

" _I still cannot locate them."_ Mr Smith informed her. Sarah Jane's brain whirred, a million thoughts fighting for dominance. Clyde and Rani were missing and it was her fault. She should have noticed something was wrong with that office block years ago.

Suddenly it dawned on her.

"The office." Sarah Jane realised. "People are disappearing from the office. Maybe we can find a clue there! Come on, Sky!"

The Smith women sprung into action, exiting the attic and jumping down the steps. They quickly clambered into the car and Sarah Jane sped off.

* * *

"So, where do you think we are?" Clyde asked as he climbed over a fallen tree, moving to help Rani. "Cos personally, I'm seeing this as the land that time forgot."

"Well, let's look at all the facts," Rani said, accepting the hand Clyde offered as a boost over the tree. "We're in a forest, there's no signal, which means we can't call for help..."

"And an alien that thinks we're dinner," Clyde supplied. "And birds!"

Rani bit her lip in worry. The two continued moving through the forest, searching for any clue or indication of where the elevator might be. Clyde grabbed Rani's hand before she could continue walking.

"Look at that!" he whispered in awe.

"What is it?" Rani asked, following his line of vision. It was a little cottage, placed directly between the canopy of trees and a stream of fresh water. The cottage was made out of straw, with a thatched roof. It reminded Rani of the _Three Little Pigs_. "This must have been Chantelle's."

"That is so cool!" Clyde whispered in awe, dragging her towards the cottage.

"Er, how exactly is this cool?" Rani asked dubiously as they edged closer. The pair tentatively stepped into the cottage. It was compact, as was to be expected of cottages. There was a straw bed to the far left. A black cooking pot hung in the middle of the room, a little above a burning fire. Meat and an assortment of miscellaneous items adorned the hut, the most interesting being a bow and a quiver of arrows attached to the wall.

"Look at this place!" Clyde gasped in awe. "It's like Ray Mears!"

" _You_ watched Ray Mears?"

"Yeah, and?" Clyde shrugged innocently as he helped himself to a piece of meat. "It's _almost_ as good as art or cooking."

"Oi, Clyde, you can't eat that!"

"Why not?" Clyde scoffed, helping himself to more meat. "I'm starving, we haven't even had lunch yet."

"It's not ours!" Rani protested. "What if they come back to find you eating their food?"

"Look, Rani, I don't think that woman is coming back," Clyde said brusquely. Rani flinched at the comment, it was most likely true. "And we need to eat. We can't just starve ourselves."

"But… but what if it's not Chantelle's?" Rani tried, sitting next to him. "What if it's Rick's? He's the man who disappeared before her."

"I doubt it," Clyde winced. "He's been stuck here way longer. I don't think he's even still -"

"Don't say it." Rani commanded.

"Okay." Clyde said softly. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Clyde chewed on his meat, distracting Rani's meticulous thought process as she planned a search rota.

"Is it good?" she finally asked, immediately regretting it.

"Oh, it's so good!" Clyde moaned, offering it to her. Rani stared at the tantalising piece of food, mentally deliberating whether she would take it and give Clyde the smug satisfaction of victory. Eventually, Rani abandoned all logical thought and grabbed the meat, devouring it greedily.

"Told ya," Clyde smirked victoriously. His smirk slowly faded as he noticed the setting sun, the curtain that usually covered the cottage opening was haphazardly strewn on the floor. "It's getting dark anyway, I don't think it's safe to go looking in the dark."

"Yeah," Rani nodded. "But we start looking tomorrow morning straight away."

Clyde noticed Rani had completely devoured her meat and smirked, "Well, until then, I spot another piece of meat in that cauldron."

A beat.

"Race you!" Rani exclaimed, leaping from her seat and launch herself at the black cooking pot. Clyde was not far behind.

* * *

Arthur peered over the desk, and noticed Arnold had reverted to his janitor form. He bit his lip, trying to find an escape route. He slunk back down in his hiding spot, when a flash of red caught his attention.

He noted the fire alarm and crawled towards it. He didn't hesitate when he slammed the button and the shrill alarm rang across the entire building. Arnold was staring at the ceiling in trepidation, clearly annoyed. Arthur watched as he slowly shuffled away from the elevator and sighed in relief.

He would wait a while before making his escape. There was a back staircase on the other side of the corridor.

* * *

Sarah Jane strolled into the _London Evening Messenger_ with purpose, closely followed by Sky. The foyer was completely empty bar one security guard who was sitting behind her desk reading a book that she Sarah Jane could not identify.

"People disappear all the time," Sarah Jane told Sky, her eyes fixed on the security guard, trying to figure out a way around her. "Whether they're snatched away by a rift or sent to a pocket universe, there is always a trace. We just have to find it."

"But how do we get past her?" Sky gestured towards the security guard. Sarah Jane pondered, uncapping her sonic lipstick. She released a wave of sonic energy, disrupting the lamp behind to the guard's desk. The woman jumped in her seat and Sarah Jane used the distraction to grab Sky's hand and pull her further down the hall and up the emergency staircase.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Rani asked Clyde as she returned from hunting. They had set up a rota: Clyde would cook the meat that Rani hunted daily. They had argued about it initially, Clyde pointing out he had more hunting experience- even if it whittled down to a week in cub scouts and a documentary, but receded when he realised Rani needed to keep herself busy, even if she wasn't very good at acquiring food. Clyde tried to assure her that he would probably be just as bad, but Rani often returned home with an empty bag. Today was such a day.

Her usual styled locks of hair were unkempt, choppy. The clothes she had worn when she arrived in the forest had been replaced with more practical clothes tailored with material they had scavenged and cut with the scissors Clyde had carried in his backpack and sewn with a discarded fashion tool kit they had found buried underneath the bed the day they had arrived in the forest. They weren't fashionable but they were practical and helped with daily activities.

Clyde stood up with a grin, his hands dirty. He also looked worse for wear. His school uniform had gradually devolved into a dirty shirt, his school trousers and trainers. He had been the one who had coped with the situation better, having glimpsed the life of sleeping rough. A soil mound was next to him. He gestured her over, and Rani complied.

"What is it?" Rani asked, bending down to examine the soil mound.

"It's an apple tree!" Clyde declared proudly. "Or it will be, in a couple of years."

"Years?" Rani repeated incredulously, her temper flaring. She rose from her position. "A couple of years? Clyde, are you hearing yourself? I don't want to stay here! I want to go home! Home to my mum and dad! Home to where I can actually cook food without trying to kill it!"

"Rani-"

"We've barely eaten in the past week and you're already planting apple trees! Maybe you _should_ go out and hunt the animals, then you can see what it's like when they - when they..."

She stormed into the hut with teary eyes, not sparing Clyde another glance.

Clyde sighed, picking up a discarded stick with a sharp end and marking another day off.

Eight weeks.

They had been trapped for eight weeks.

* * *

A week later, Rani returned from hunting in a relatively happier mood. Her bow was slung over her shoulder and she dragged meat in Clyde's old backpack. Everything had its use as she had quickly realised. The elevator hadn't returned, to her dismay. She had checked.

She entered the cottage and paused.

"Clyde…"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"A present for you," Clyde grinned, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "I think I did quite good."

"I don't believe it." Rani gasped. Placed above the bed in their little hut were sketches of important people in Rani's life: Sarah Jane, Luke, Sky, and her mum and dad. Clyde's mother, Carla Langer and Maria Jackson were also sketched and placed on the wall. They were all framed in a pattern, their parents at the top, and their friends directly below. "You did this?"

"Course," Clyde grinned. "Used a lot of my paper doing it, but I like to think it was for a good cause."

Rani brushed her fingers over Gita's sketched picture. Her breath caught in her throat and she shook as unshed tears spilled from her eyelids.

"Thank you…" she whispered, her voice choked. "Thank you." she repeated, louder this time. Clyde smiled sadly, wrapping an arm around Rani and hugging her. They stood there, admiring the pictures of their friends and family.

* * *

Sarah Jane and Sky paused to catch their breath. They had reached the tenth floor.

"Where now?" Sky asked between pants, regaining her breath.

"The twelfth floor and then the fourteenth." Sarah Jane replied determinedly. "We'll check there first."

Sarah Jane faltered at the distinctive squawk of a parrot, a sound uncommon in office buildings. Looking up the next flight of steps, she noticed the green parrot perched on the banister, staring back at her with beady eyes.

"I have a much better idea, Miss Smith," a man clad in a regal robe told her in a rich voice. Sarah Jane gasped, while Sky eyed the mysterious figure with a sense of awe.

"You?"

* * *

The noticeably older Clyde and Rani sat on the log situated next to their campfire, a daily tradition. They would sit on the log, bask in the warm glow of the campfire and look up at the stars, regaling each other with tales of fiction and tales of their home. It had initially been a coping mechanism but had gradually evolved into an act of nostalgia over the ten years they had been stuck in the thirteenth floor.

"My mum used to watch every single movie that had George Clooney, you know." Rani told Clyde fondly, smiling into the flames. "She adored them."

"Even the one with Kelly Brook? I worry for your mother." Clyde stated dubiously.

"Shows what you know, I could've sworn I heard your back go out!"

"I'll have you know that I am a very athletic man." Clyde deadpanned, moving to sit next to her. They huddled together for warmth. The pair didn't share many stories this time, it had been a long day and they were both tired. Neither of them were as young as they used to be, though they didn't care to admit it.

"Could've fooled me," Rani quipped as she yawned, her eyelids beginning to droop. She rested her head against Clyde's shoulder, already feeling the spell of sleep washing over her. She felt Clyde's head rest on her own.

"Rani?" he called out for her quietly.

"Hmm?"

"You know I love you, right?" he asked in a whisper. It was soft, quiet, heartfelt. It filled Rani's chest and made her feel warm. She smiled, her eyelids continuing to droop.

"Love you too." she managed before they both fell asleep. The centaur creature watched them sleep, his head tilting in a curious manner. He left the pair to sleep in peace. Maybe one day he would reveal himself.

* * *

Sky had never seen the Shopkeeper move much during their first encounter. She found it amusing and interesting how his robe swished as he almost hovered up the steps at a speed faster than her and Sarah Jane combined.

"Where are we going?" Sarah Jane demanded, stubbornly attempting to keep up with the man.

"The sixteenth floor!" the man informed her.

"We're on the fifteenth," Sky pointed out.

"Very good observation, young Sky!" the Shopkeeper proclaimed proudly. "You seem to have grown since our last meeting."

"Why the sixteenth floor?" Sarah Jane interrupted.

"Because, Miss Smith…" the Shopkeeper stopped suddenly and Sarah Jane almost ran into him. Sky skidded to a halt, observing the man. He held up a finger, waiting patiently. As if it had been staged, a blonde teenage boy around the same age crashed through a door, freezing when he noticed them. "I do not believe you have had the pleasure of meeting Sir Arthur Matthews."

Arthur stared at them in surprise.

* * *

"You've done it wrong," Rani informed Clyde smugly.

"I think you'll find I have not," Clyde shot back.

"Clyde, I'm telling you, the goats don't need more food!"

"It's not like I'm going overboard! And what are you doing up anyway? You're meant to be resting!" Clyde hissed protectively, guiding Rani away from their little farm and towards to the log. Rani scoffed.

"Oh please, I'm fine!" she assured him, patting her baby bump. "I spent my days as a teenager battling aliens!"

"Yeah, I did too." Clyde replied. "You know, just in case you forgot."

Rani bit back a venomous retort when she noticed Clyde's expression. It was a cocktail of emotions: wistful, wary, sad, elated.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. Clyde sighed and sat down next to her, rubbing her belly absentmindedly.

"What if I'm not a good dad?" Clyde asked Rani worriedly. "What if I end up like my dad?"

"You won't." Rani assured him.

"How do you know?" Clyde mumbled. "It scares me, Rani. I don't want to be like him."

"You won't be like him," Rani assured him, placing her hand atop his. "You'll be better than him. I'll help you, if you think you can't handle it. I'll start by actually feeding the animals properly!"

"Oh no, you don't! Resting, remember?" Clyde jumped up, placing his hands on her shoulders to keep her in place. Rani grinned at him.

"See that? You just proved you're better than him already."

* * *

"So you're Arthur." Sarah Jane stated as they hurried to follow the Shopkeeper.

"Well, yeah, but - what's going on?" Arthur was confused. One minute he was fleeing from his hiding spot and the next he found himself face to face with three strangers and a parrot. "I'm a little lost here."

"We're here to find a friend and we haven't a lot of time." Sarah Jane explained.

"Less chatter please!" The Shopkeeper spoke up as he led his three compatriots through the fifteenth floor. They turned a corridor and entered a room. The room was unspectacular. Aside from the musty floorboard and drab grey wallpaper, multiple wooden oak drawers dotted the room. A single bulb lit up the area and an unbearable stench wafted through.

"This place is awful," Sarah Jane winced. "The smell is horrible."

"Mm, there's a clue here somewhere…" the Shopkeeper muttered, digging through a drawer. Arthur pulled Sky to the side and the two conversed in hushed whispers. Sarah Jane ignored them, approaching the shopkeeper.

"How do you know there will be a clue here?"

"Oh, it's difficult to explain and I'm afraid we do not have the time," the Shopkeeper said resolutely.

"But can you find Clyde and Rani?"

"Yes, Sarah Jane, I can," the Shopkeeper assured her. He opened another drawer and continued rummaging determinedly. He cried out triumphantly as he pulled out a photograph from the drawer. It was a group photograph of several people in various pieces of clothing dated several years prior. Sky and Arthur paused their conversation to join them, the latter noticeably calmer.

"A photograph?" Sky chimed in confusion. The Shopkeeper turned to face the young girl and Captain the parrot flew to the cage.

"Very good, young lady! I see you have been tutored on Earth customs thoroughly," the Shopkeeper noted, holding up the photograph so they could all see it.

"That's Arnold the janitor!" Arthur stated dubiously when he noticed the stooped man hunched in the corner of the photograph.

"Ah, so he's been seen recently." the Shopkeeper's voice adopted a grave tone. "The one that guards the elevator is not a gentle fellow, there is only one way to summon him."

In a flash of movement, the photograph was crumpled in the Shopkeeper's hand. A moment later, a loud howl of agony reverberated around the mostly empty office block. An ugly looking janitor with a mop of greasy red hair stormed into the room. He snatched the photograph and tossed it to the floor. The Shopkeeper watched him, his lips pursed. Sarah Jane pulled Sky towards her.

The hunched man slowly turned towards them, his eyes glowing a shade of gold. Membranes snapped across his eyes and in a burst of light, the janitor was gone, replaced by a grey skinned reptilian humanoid with snake-like features. His eyes were slitted, his tongue forked and his fingernails were replaced by large claws.

"I presume you are the Creator?" the Shopkeeper inquired calmly.

" _Oh, I have heard stories about you_ ," the Creator hissed. Sarah Jane frowned, it reminded of the Ice Warriors. " _The Wielder of the Two Souls. Look at you now, reduced to a babysitter for infants,"_ he gestured towards Sarah Jane and the two teenagers with a scaly hand. ITALIC: ALL CREATOR SPEECH

"And I have heard about you in return." The Shopkeeper retorted gracefully. The being that achieved the feat of deluding himself into thinking he is in control of the universe."

The Creator hissed, " _Why do you summon me?"_

"I want my friends back!" Sarah Jane yelled, drawing their attention. "You've sent them away but I'm here to bring them home."

" _Oh but my little world will be so lonely,"_ the Creator clicked his tongue. " _And how can you be sure you want them back now?"_

"What do you mean?" Sky piped up.

" _Time works differently in my pocket universe. Your friends are shells of their former selves. You'll never be able to retrieve them. I am in control. I win."_

"He does not speak the truth," the Shopkeeper spoke up. "He is not in control of the pocket universe, he just feeds off the energy. There is a data bank- an archive- located on this floor; it must be located and destroyed, but you will need to have your friends in this realm if you wish to keep them from being lost forever."

" _LIAR!"_ the Creator roared, shooting a dark stream of energy from his eyes. The Shopkeeper retaliated, clicking his fingers and opening a time fissure as a shield.

"Miss Smith, I am afraid time is of the essence," the Shopkeeper grunted as he blocked another burst of energy. Sarah Jane nodded and sprung into action. She grabbed Sky by the arm and pulled her out of the door, closely followed by Arthur.

"The Shopkeeper must have had a reason for bringing you along," Sarah Jane noted as she studied Arthur. "Is there a room here that nobody goes into?"

"I- I dunno." Arthur stuttered lamely. "I don't think - hang on… there's the old board room, but that was closed down due to flooding!"

"And how long ago was that?"

"I dunno, it's always been like that."

"Then that's where we start," Sarah Jane said firmly.

"I'll go get Clyde and Rani," Sky added. Sarah Jane faltered, turning towards her defiant adopted daughter.

"No, Sky, it's too dangerous!"

"But the Shopkeeper said that we need them in this realm. This Earth! I can open the lift, I have to be the one who goes! It's the quickest way, Sarah Jane! You can't be in two places at once. If I go and get them, you can destroy the archive!"

"Okay, but be careful!" Sarah Jane receded. Sky nodded and ran off to find an elevator.

* * *

"You're getting really good, Sarah," Clyde marvelled as he watched his daughter work. Sarah Langer's tongue was poking out the side of her lip, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she sketched the stream. Rani finished feeding the animals and admired her family. A number of years had passed since Clyde and Rani had stepped onto the thirteenth floor together. There was once a time when Rani was desperate to get home, to be rid of the strange woodland jungle and return to the safety of civilisation and home, but she had adapted to the new environment and she was happy. Happy with Clyde and Sarah. What was once a scary forest had turned into the utopia.

"Finished!" Sarah cheered, bouncing on her feet excitedly. She was full of life, almost as inquisitive as her namesake. Sarah eyed the hunting bow and the quiver of arrows. "Can I go hunting now?"

"What, without me?" Rani asked. She wasn't surprised anymore. Sarah often ventured into the woods alone to hunt or explore. They had been worried at first but the two parents had long since realised that the forest was harmless and peaceful.

"Please mum. Please?" Sarah bounced on the balls of her feet, looking at Rani expectantly.

"Oh, go on then," Rani nodded. "But remember, if you see anything that frightens you, just come straight back, okay?"

"Mum, the forest isn't _scary!_ " Sarah scoffed at the thought. "It's my friend!" ITALIC: SCARY

Rani smiled at thought as Sarah grabbed the bow and quiver of arrows. She skipped off happily down the path after giving them a quick goodbye. They had cleared it over the years, ensuring it was safe for their daughter to travel through.

"She's right, you know," Clyde interrupted Rani's train of thought. "She's grown up here. She hasn't known anything else."

"Yeah, you're right." Rani nodded. "I'm just being silly."

"Tell you what, though, I never expected this place to become paradise," Clyde admitted as he packed his sketch pad away.

"No," Rani agreed, picking an apple from the nearby tree and biting into it. "Neither did I."

* * *

Sarah skipped through the forest without a care in the world. The warm sun beat down mercilessly on the forest but it was never too warm or cold. It was almost as if the forest set the temperature at the most comfortable standard for the humans that resided inside it.

Sarah loved the forest. It was her home and it always would be. Sometimes, at night, her parents would regale her with stories of their old life in Ealing, a land far, far away. They would tell her stories of her grandparents, her godmother Sarah Jane Smith and her family, but what fascinated her the most were the stories her father told her about the ancient technique of skateboarding. She stopped skipping when the sound of snapping roots caught her attention. Sarah gasped quietly, looking left and right frantically.

Another twig snapped and the ground rumbled. Suddenly, a creature that looked like a hybrid of a centaur and a minotaur galloped straight towards her.

* * *

Rani popped her head out of the hut door, her eyes darting around the surrounding area quickly. When she couldn't find Sarah, she frowned, stepping out and approaching Clyde, who was busy feeding the animals.

"Have you seen Sarah?" Rani asked worriedly, constantly checking the forest in case her daughter came bounding back. A sense of dread washed over her.

"She's not back yet?" Clyde blinked. He looked around, dumbfounded. Sarah had never been late to dinner, she had developed his love for food and always skipped back on time.

"No, and it's almost dark."

"Okay," Clyde sighed, setting the food bowl down and dusting off his hands. "Look, I'm sure she's fine. She's probably distracted by a pretty… flower or something."

"Your jokes still aren't funny, Clyde." Rani sighed, rubbing her shoulder absentmindedly.

"Who said I was joking?"

"I just get this feeling that the creature is still out there, you know?"

"We haven't seen it in years," Clyde reasoned.

"That doesn't mean it's not waiting for us or something," Rani retaliated morbidly. "Just - come on, the sooner we find her, the sooner we can eat."

* * *

The elevator shuddered violently but Sky wasn't scared. She was too focused on her mission: to find Clyde and Rani and bring them back to the real world before the archive was destroyed. The elevator stopped its violent discourse and the doors slowly opened to reveal a beautiful, picturesque forest, the kind Sky had always wanted to see up close.

It was beautiful. It reminded her of an alien Jurassic Park, a movie she had watched late one night with Luke and Clyde despite Sarah Jane's insistence that they find something else to watch.

The elevator pinged and Sky spun around just in time to see the doors closing.

"No!" she yelled, placing the palm of her hand on the side of the elevator. A burst of yellow electricity crackled around the elevator panel as Sky urged the machine to remain open. The doors slowly opened again, and remained open.

She sighed with relief. She was never quite sure how potent her ability was ever since she had been diffused as a weapon and she didn't want to test her luck. She turned and ran down the path, calling out for the pair she considered to be part of her family.

* * *

"Stand back!" Sarah Jane ordered, expertly opening the locked door with her sonic lipstick. She and Arthur stepped into the dry boardroom. There wasn't a trace of water.

"I don't get it." Arthur struggled to formulate his words. It was all a bit too much. First Rani sauntered into the building for work experience and he was suddenly helping a familiar looking woman rescue the teenage girl. "Why did nobody think to check on the boardroom?"

"You'd be surprised at the number of aliens that are old hands at hypnotism and thought manipulation," Sarah Jane murmured, brushing her hand along the wall, searching for a secret entrance. "There has to be something…"

"That wasn't there before." Arthur pointed at the mirror wedged between the interactive whiteboard and a window. "I mean, granted, I've only been in here once but it's been flooded ever since."

"Gotcha!" Sarah Jane grinned triumphantly, raising her sonic lipstick and pointing at the mirror. The glass shattered at the frequency and a loud _click_ reverberated off the walls. The window slowly retreated backwards and a door handle appeared directly beneath it.

"That's impossible!" Arthur spluttered. "We're on the eighteenth floor!"

"Arthur, I'll happily explain perception filters to you after all this is over." Sarah Jane retorted as she twisted the knob. The door opened to reveal an expansive room filled with machines that reminded Sarah Jane of Van de Graaff generators. It was an odd setup, but Sarah Jane didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Through here." Sarah Jane stepped into the room, searching for the correct archive. They walked through the room for a few seconds until Sarah Jane found a pixelated image of Clyde and Rani hovering over one of the Van de Graaff generators. "It's this one!"

"Well, what are waiting for? Zap it!"

"No!" Sarah Jane turned sharply. "Not until Clyde, Rani and Sky are back."

* * *

"Sarah!" Clyde and Rani cried out simultaneously as they travelled down the beaten path. They had decided to check the flower meadow. It was Sarah's place to escape boredom, although she also hid there if her parents were arguing.

Clyde stopped suddenly at the bridge that would lead to the flower meadow. He backtracked slightly, his eyes narrowing on his daughter trapped under the arms of the creature that had plagued them on their very first day.

"Sarah!" Clyde cried out in horror. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, he jumped down the three big steps, desperate to save his daughter. "Get away from her!"

"Dad, what are you doing?!" Sarah exclaimed in horror.

The creature's arms were still wrapped around Sarah and he looked at Clyde in confusion. The man launched himself at the centaur and raised his fist.

"Stop! He's my friend!"

Clyde faltered. His mind whirred. The sheer thought of the creature that had killed a defenceless old woman making friends with his daughter was almost too much for him to comprehend, but Clyde knew that his daughter would never lie to him. Hesitantly, Clyde unclenched his fist and clambered off the creature, eyeing it warily. Rani joined them, grabbing Sarah by her shoulders and holding her close to her chest.

"Your daughter speaks the truth, Clyde Langer," the creature wheezed, slowly propping itself up on its elbows.

"But - who are you?" Rani stuttered, eyeing the alien warily. "Why did you chase us that day?"

"I am Amon and I mean you no harm," Amon explained between his bitter coughs. "I didn't wish to frighten you that day. I apologise. It had been a long time since new visitors had arrived to the forest."

"You killed that woman!" Clyde interrupted. "We heard her scream and your stomping."

"Ah, Chantelle." Amon sighed sadly. "I am afraid she was long since gone. She tripped. Fell into the ravine, I tried to save her but I was too late… old age would have taken her in the end. I am already feeling the spell of death consume me. It is surprisingly peaceful."

"All this time, I thought you were a monster." Rani whispered mournfully. She released Sarah and scooped down to help the ailing creature. "You weren't even that. I am so sorry. You must have been lonely. Me and Clyde, we had each other, and you had -"

"I had Sarah." Amon replied firmly as his breathing slowly stopped. Sarah grinned happily, blissfully ignorant of what was occurring around her. Sarah had never seen a humanoid die before, she couldn't possibly have known.

Clyde and Rani stared at each other. They weren't sure how they were going to explain the sad truth her friend had just died.

"Clyde? Rani?"

Clyde froze. That voice. He turned rigidly, just in time to see Sky spot them. She stood there with a victorious grin on her face, far younger than he remembered her to be. Rani also turned to the voice, tears filling her eyes as she laid eyes on her old friend.

"I've found you!" Sky cheered.

* * *

It had all happened so suddenly. Sarah Jane had been leaning against a table, studying the generators intently when the Shopkeeper flew into the room, crashing into a row of tables. The generators toppled over and Sarah Jane cried out in surprise. Arthur rose from his position on the table in alarm.

The Creator stormed in, his reptilian eyes ablaze. His eyes locked on Sarah Jane.

" _Step away from my archive!"_ the alien hissed, and released another beam of dark matter energy from his eyes. Reacting on instinct, Arthur grabbed Sarah Jane and pulled her away. The beam narrowly missed its intended target, searing the archive record that contained Clyde, Rani and Sky. The destruction of the record led to a domino effect; the surrounding articles subsequently burned and disappeared. The Van de Graaff generators sparked and exploded. ITALIC: ALL CREATOR SPEECH

"No!" Sarah Jane cried out in horror.

" _You have no right! You robbed me of my universe! My archives!"_ The Creator roared. Sarah Jane brought her hands to protect her face, terrified. Suddenly, Captain the parrot swooped in, clawing at the Creator's eyes. The alien cried out in agony, swatting at the air aimlessly. He tripped over an upturned table. Captain flew to a comfortable perch on Arthur's head.

"Saved by a parrot," the teenage boy croaked. Sarah Jane ignored him.

"The generator's been destroyed too early! Sky, Clyde, Rani!" she sprung to her feet and sped out the door.

* * *

"Sky…" Clyde whispered. Sky grinned, hopping down the stairs and leaping into his arms.

"You're so old now!" Sky noted excitedly.

"Gee, thanks, Sparky," he scoffed, ruffling her hair. She was still so young, so innocent. He wondered if his age showed more than he thought it did. The thought scared him. Rani approached them, wrapping her arms around Sky in joy. The two giggled like they often did when Rani was younger.

"Sky, what are you doing here?" Rani asked, wiping the happy tears from her eyes. Sky opened her mouth to speak when the ground shuddered violently. The pair managed to keep themselves upright while Clyde reached over and gripped Sarah steadily.

"I've come to take you home!" Sky exclaimed, grabbing Rani's hand. "Something must have happened in the archive! Come on, we don't have long!"

"Dad, where are we going?" Sarah screeched as Clyde scooped her into his arms and trotted up the stairs.

"To the place I told you about!" Clyde cried out in glee. He had enjoyed his time in the forest, but the thought of returning home excited him. "You remember all the stories I told you about?"

"Will there be skateboarding?"

"That's my girl!" Clyde whooped with joy. Sarah, however, had one thing on her mind.

"Dad, what about Amon?!" Sarah screamed. With great difficulty, Clyde ignored her cries and protests as he followed Rani and Sky. They stumbled their way towards the elevator, a sight Clyde thought he would never see again. A tree snapped and crashed to the ground, a few inches from where they stood originally.

Sky and Rani clambered into the elevator, quickly followed by Clyde and a screaming Sarah, who begged for everything to be explained to her. Clyde didn't listen. He was excited to finally go home, to give Sarah a better life. The elevator doors snapped shut and the lift shuddered as violently as it had twenty years ago.

* * *

The Creator howled in pain and anger, turning to Arthur.

" _You...will...pay,"_ he roared, ready to unleash another beam of dark energy when there was the snap of fingers and a fissure consumed the alien. Arthur stared at where the alien stood, nonplussed. The Shopkeeper rose from the ground and dusted himself off, like nothing had happened. ITALIC: CREATOR SPEECH

"I left him in his universe, just like he always wanted." The Shopkeeper explained callously.

"Isn't that a bit…" Arthur trailed off, unsure of how to phrase his words.

"No. He had one chance and he blew it." the man replied darkly. Arthur felt the prickle of goosebumps grow on his flesh. "One chance. That's it." he smiled jarringly, Arthur didn't quite register it. "Would you like to go home now?"

* * *

The group regained their breath and composure as they stood in the motionless lift. Clyde and Rani stared at each other wordlessly, too shocked to speak. They were teenagers again. They were in their school uniform and suit respectively, the same outfits they had worn when they had stepped into the elevator. They looked down at their joined hands, expecting to see Sarah, their ten year old child, staring back at them with wide eyes, confused eyes, any kind, but there were no eyes. There was no Sarah.

"Sarah…?" Rani breathed quietly, looking around frantically. "Well, where is she?"

"She was just there." Clyde whispered. "She was just there. Where did she go? She was… she was…"

Rani pushed past her two friends, ready to pry the doors open when the elevator pinged and the doors slid open to reveal Sarah Jane Smith.

"Oh, thank goodness." Sarah Jane allowed herself to breathe. "Clyde, Rani- oh!"

Rani collapsed into Sarah Jane's arms, too exhausted to move. Tears spilled from her eyes as she shuddered uncontrollably, crying and crying and crying. Clyde leaned against the lift wall to support himself, rigid, silent.

Sarah Jane didn't say anything. They would explain to her soon enough.

* * *

Two days later, Rani sat on a park swing, pushing herself back and forth aimlessly. Everything had gone back to normal. The lift had become a normal lift, there was no way back to the thirteenth floor. She never told her parents, she couldn't tell them. Something just felt… off.

Clyde approached her and sat on the second swing wordlessly. They remained silent for a few minutes, unsure how to alleviate the awkwardness that had festered ever since they had returned from the the place they had considered home for twenty years. Clyde looked up, admiring the park. He had sat here once, with Luke while Sarah Jane and Maria worked. Everything was so much easier back then. Clyde had never anticipated this would ever happen.

"What were the colour of her eyes?" Rani's voice was barely above a whisper. She sounded so tired. "I can't even remember anymore."

"No," Clyde agreed. "Neither can I."

"How old are you, Clyde?"

"Seventeen." Clyde replied automatically, bowing his head almost instantly. Was he seventeen or thirty-seven? He didn't know anymore.

Sarah Jane had explained to them that the memories would slowly fade with time. Their memories would become unattainable dreams and they would forget the love they had developed for each other. They would lapse back into the people they once were, the class clown with a passion for art and the budding journalist who skirted around their feelings for each other because they were afraid of the consequences attached to it. It broke their hearts, though they didn't care to admit it to the other.

"Will anything ever go back to the way they were?"

Of course they wouldn't. The two would be plagued by the fact they had lost a child in their dreams, they would both separate to move on with their lives. Rani would study to become a journalist and Clyde would study to become a comic artist. Their time with Sarah Jane would be over. They would no longer be kids. Nothing would ever be the same again.

"Yeah." Clyde said simply. Rani accepted the answer, and the two held hands as they smiled fondly at the children playing in the park.

* * *

At the same time, Sarah Jane stood alone in the silent attic, contemplating as Mr Smith ran his diagnostics. She barely registered his monotonous tone, which was informing her that the traces of the pocket universe had all but disappeared, as her mind wandered to her two dear friends. She couldn't imagine what trauma they must be going through now; the heartbreak of losing a child, the slow but eventual disintegration of the past twenty years of their life. The only way she could try to compare it to her own life was to imagine losing her memories of her travels with the Doctor. To have all those spectacular and personal memories wiped away as effortlessly as footprints on a beach, washed away by the waves… it didn't bear thinking about.

Thankfully, her melancholic introspection was interrupted by a flash of light behind her, followed by an all-too-familiar squawk. She wiped a solitary tear from her eye (she wasn't aware that she had been crying) and turned to face the shopkeeper, smiling sweetly at her, with the Captain on his shoulder.

"You have done well, Miss Smith," he purred at her.

Sarah Jane sighed in exasperation at this mysterious man's comings-and-goings. "You again!"

The man chuckled, "Oh yes, it's me. Just popping to make sure everything is in order. And I can see that you have been checking up on the pocket universe as well. It seems the Creator will not be bothering this universe any longer."

He raised his hand, in his traditional leaving pose, but Sarah Jane stepped towards him with her finger pointed at him. "Oh, no. You don't get to leave just yet. I have questions!"

"Ah, questions," he mused. "They keep the world turning. Without curiosity, the universe would stop. Ask away, Miss Smith. Though I can't guarantee I'll be able to answer."

"What were you doing there?" asked Sarah Jane, her hands on her hips. "How did you know to come and help us at the office?"

The Shopkeeper gave a smile that warned Sarah Jane that he would not answer. "That is the way of the Universe, Miss Smith. When I am needed, there I am. I cannot be explained," He let out a small laugh at his own cryptic utterances, before turning his attention to an assortment of trinkets on Sarah Jane's desk. "Now, the girl. Young Sky. How is she?"

Sarah Jane bit her lip. She knew better than to attempt to stop the Shopkeeper from interfering with her belongings. "She's fine," she replied. "She was very brave that day, she always is."

The Shopkeeper wandered over to the doorframe, where he traced his fingers carefully over the pencil markings that Rani had etched into the wood. "And she's certainly been growing. Look how tall she's getting. And it's barely been a few months since I saw her last."

Sarah Jane watched him suspiciously, crossing her arms to let him know that she was no fool. "Is that something I should be worried about? I mean, she doesn't stop growing!"

The Shopkeeper let out a deep, hearty chuckle. "My, my, Miss Smith. There are far worse things to be worried about than a child's growth spurt. I can feel it… blowing towards us on the wind. The events to come, they are far less gentle than a summer breeze. But, then again, it is possible that even the most catastrophic events and the tiniest differences like pencil marks on a wall, may somehow be intertwined."

Sarah Jane rolled her eyes. She'd had enough of the cryptic riddles that this man seemed to speak almost exclusively in. "And just what do you mean by that? You never seem to say anything that makes sense, do you?"

"Everything makes sense in the correct context." The Shopkeeper retaliated coolly, stroking his parrot. "The will of the Universe moves in mysterious ways. Every cloud has a silver lining. But know this, Sarah Jane: you must be prepared for battle. Already, I can see strange forces at work. And you may be the only one to stop them. But until then, I must bid you farewell, Miss Smith!"

And with that, he disappeared into a burst of light accompanied by an echoing parrot's squawk, leaving a flabbergasted Sarah Jane alone in the attic. She looked around, digesting the words she had just heard. Finally, she whispered to herself, "What battle?"

 **The Sarah Jane Adventures returns in The Battle of Bannerman Road.**


	5. The Battle of Bannerman Road Part One

**The Sarah Jane Adventures** **  
** **The Battle of Bannerman Road - Part One**

Sky wasn't quite sure how she had ended up in Professor Rivers' lab in the Pharos Institute. She also wasn't quite sure of when she first started to see him. It could have been from any point in her life, from her birth to arriving to Earth to just the other day, she wasn't quite sure. All of her memories were hazy and unclear.

Sky sat back and contemplated.

~SJA~

"Get back!" Sarah Jane ordered, pointing her sonic lipstick like a weapon at the skulking metal robot. "I won't let you hurt this child."

The cover was lifted and Sky could finally see. The boy, Clyde, shot her a look of pure fear and terror for the briefest of seconds before he stood and held his ground alongside his friends. Words were exchanged between the opposing three parties but Sky wasn't paying attention. There was a strange hum dancing around in her head. It wasn't a gentle lullaby that young children were accustomed to, this was a lullaby of pure, unadulterated destruction.

" _Sky."_

She couldn't place the voice, her sensory neurones and receptors were not properly adapted and developed. It was repulsive and yet, she couldn't escape the voice. It was lulling in the harshest and most terrifying of ways.

" _Your life doesn't have to end here. Embrace your purpose."_

Sky's big blue eyes were drawn to the Metalkind. Rage bubbled deep in beneath the baby fat of Sky's stomach.

" _That's right. Just let go. Fulfill your purpose."_

Sky succumbed to the voice. A bone-rattling laugh filled her head and Sky let out a blood curdling cry of fear as she felt warmth envelop her, the laughter never ceasing. When the warmth dissipated, Sky was no longer a baby but, surprisingly, a small and frail teenage girl. She looked up into the eyes of a worried Sarah Jane when she called her, and promptly forgot about the voice.

~SJA~

The portal had short circuited when Clyde and Rani shut down the reactor, and Sky was thrilled with the knowledge that she was no longer a weapon, so much so that she enveloped the trio in a big hug. Sky thought, I like hugs. She quickly spun out of her embrace at the sound of the metallic rasping voice of the Metalkind and watched as it dragged the screaming sorry carcass of a mother through a bright blue fissure.

Sky couldn't shake the deep satisfaction that filled her when the prospective scenario of her mother's death crossed her mind. She couldn't quite place why it had overridden her guilt.

~SJA~

Sky was given a choice; a crossroads even. She had to make a choice: stay or go. The answer seemed very simple. She turned on the spot and faced Sarah Jane anxiously.

"Can I stay here with you?" Sky was pleasantly surprised at the reaction that lit up Sarah Jane's face. "That's what I really want."

It was what she wanted but Sky couldn't help but feel it wasn't just _her_ choice.

~SJA~

Harrison had been defeated and the Skullions had been freed, to Sky's delight. They were off to celebrate with pizza and a movie. Pizza was Sky's favourite Earth delicacy. Sky had insisted on driving back home with Luke in his car, as opposed to the regular car with Sarah Jane, Clyde and Rani.

The drive was peaceful. Luke and Sky talked and joked about random things. Sky had learnt more about Maria Jackson during the drive. After sobering from a hilarious joke Luke had told her, Sky leaned back in her seat and moved to open the window.

She leapt back when she saw the face. It was a figure dressed head to toe in a black robe. It outstretched a gloved hand, goading her forward. Sky wanted to shake her head but she found herself leaning forward. Whispers filled her head, doubts and the likes trickling into her mind. Her eyes glazed over and fury enveloped her. Her hands started to crackle with electricity.

And then Sky promptly forgot.

Luke, however, didn't. He never forgot anything.

~SJA~

Sky heard laughing.

It was almost as if it was a siren, a call to arms. Sky gingerly climbed out of her bed and walked to her bedroom mirror. The robed figure was there again - Sky realised that she had forgotten about him - and she could see under his hood this time around. Fleshy skin made up his face with a distinct lack of eyes.

" _Sky Smith."_

"Who are you?"

" _It doesn't matter."_ The benevolent figure replied calmly. Sky felt that she was supposed to be afraid but the figure had been with her for as long as she could remember.

"Why are you here?" She asked, her voice surprisingly steady. "What do you want with me?"

" _You are special."_ The figure replied in a raspy, gravelly voice that seemed to hold more weight and gravity than it should. " _They do not realise that. They do not value your skills, they treat you as a child."_

"No, you're wrong." Sky protested half-heartedly, already doubting her words. She frowned and pursed her lips. The figure smiled, revealing a row of razor sharp teeth. It reach out its hand again.

" _Join me, Sky. Let me wash away your worries."_

Sky already felt herself reaching forward. Closer… closer…

"Sky?" Sarah Jane's voice was like an electric shock. Sky's hand surged backwards as the door opened and Sarah Jane poked her head through, and Sky forgot the last few minutes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Sky nodded with a smile.

"Good," Sarah Jane smiled. "Breakfast is ready downstairs. We're going somewhere later."

"Where?" Sky asked curiously.

"The Pharos Institute."

~SJA~

"Gran, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Oh, nonsense, Santiago!" Jo scoffed, picking up her pickaxe again. She had spent the last five minutes wearing down a boulder that was blocking the entrance to an ancient temple deep in the forests of Peru. "This temple belonged to the Incas."

"But this is breaking and entering!" Santiago hissed.

"Oh, don't be silly." Jo scoffed as she continued wearing down the boulder. Santiago began to wonder where exactly she had found a pickaxe. Then again, he had learnt a long time ago to not question his grandmother's unorthodox methods. He ducked when her pickaxe was a little too close to his head for comfort. "Don't you remember the hidden treasure of Nicaragua? Oh, the gold was positively sparkling!"

"Gran, we almost got arrested for breaking into that temple!" Santiago reminded her heatedly. Jo frowned for a second before shrugging it off and continuing beating down the cracked boulder.

"Those policemen didn't know what they were talking about!" Jo reasoned. Santiago sighed and decided to let her continue with her train of thought, eyeing the thick undergrowth of trees around him. He pulled at the cuff of his shirt sleeve. He hadn't realised it would be so hot, which was a stupid thing to think. They were in _Peru_ of all places.

A trail of sweat beaded from his forehead and his messy hair clung to his damp, sweaty forehead. Jo was also sweating but she didn't let that or her fatigue wear her down as she continued hammering away at the boulder until it gave away with a satisfying, resounding crack. Jo sighed in satisfaction, turning to Santiago.

"There, you see?" she grinned triumphantly. Santiago didn't say anything to annoy her. It wasn't like he had a chance anyway, Jo had turned away as soon as the words left her mouth fumbling through her satchel looking for a torch.

"Gran?" he sighed fondly, holding up a pair of torches in each hand. Jo let out a gasp of realisation before snatching one away and hurriedly entering the temple. Santiago sighed and shook his head before he followed her inside.

The temple was ancient. The cavernous walls were rusted and etched with hieroglyphics. There was a minimal amount of sunlight, all filtering through the broken boulder that Jo had cracked open. The air was damp and stifling but that didn't stop the two intrepid adventurers.

Jo shuffled towards the middle of the room where there was a round altar with something perched on it. She examined it from multiple angles for a few seconds, finding her dim torchlight useless. She sighed in frustration.

"Come here, sweetheart." Jo gestured hurriedly. Santiago quickly crossed across the room and looked at her questioningly. "Shine your torch on this."

Santiago did as he was told and noticed a round hole inside the object. Jo reached inside and pulled out a scroll of parched paper. She let out a cry of glee and snatched both torches, spreading the paper on the ground while Santiago explored the cave.

Jo shone the torch and eventually made out hieroglyphics of some sort. There were images of destruction. She squinted as she made out a car and gasped when she realised that the car looked remarkably like the one that belonged to Sarah Jane Smith. She continued spreading the paper, eagerly drinking in the information.

"What are we even doing here, gran?" Santiago asked as he walked further into the cave. He stopped and turned around when Jo didn't respond. "Gran?"

Jo wasn't listening. Her eyes widened as she stared at the paper. Etched into the material were the images of death and destruction itself and, in the middle, the heart of it, was the image of a small teenage girl. There was white chalk text etched into a caption under the image and she shone her torch onto it, making out the words.

 _She will damn us all._

Chills ran up Jo's spin and goosebumps tickled her skin. She watched in horror as the hieroglyphics slowly cracked and fragmented into tiny, unsalvageable pieces. Jo leaned back, contemplating on the implications.

An omen of things to come.

~SJA~

"It's just a check up," Sarah Jane assured Sky as she stepped out of the car. She turned back to see the teenager sitting in the car with her arms crossed, pouting for the world to see. She sighed. "Come on, Sky. It's only going to drag on if you let it."

Sky sighed and pulled herself out of the car. It was a particularly windy day and Sky wrapped her jacket tighter around herself as her hair danced and fluttered around her. She had never really been at the Pharos Institute. It was situated inside a majestic old castle.

Sarah Jane pulled the door open and Sky was a little surprised at the modern interior. Her eyes travelled along the professional logo emblazoned into the wall until her attention was drawn by the clicking of high heels on linoleum walls. A dark skinned woman approached them with a wide smile, extending her hand for Sarah Jane.

"Sarah Jane Smith." Her smile widened as she used her other hand to pull off the glasses that were perched on her nose. "How wonderful to see you again."

"Professor Rivers." Sarah Jane smiled, shaking the offered hand. "Thank you for agreeing to see us."

"It's my pleasure." Celeste Rivers shook her head humbly, poking her head over Sarah Jane's shoulder to assess her company. "Is this Sky?"

"Yes, it is," Sarah Jane smiled as she brought Sky closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I just need a check up on her electrical capabilities. My equipment isn't updated enough to run it."

"Hmm, I'll see what I can do." Professor Rivers nodded knowingly as she gestured for the two to follow her. Sarah Jane shared a smile with Sky before she walked off to catch up with her contact. Sky's smile faded almost instantaneously. She took one last look around the reception of the complex, her eyes momentarily flickering out of view before she shook her head and chased after her mother.

~SJA~

"Talk to her," Gita urged in a fierce whisper, listening to the quiet smashing behind the closed door of Rani's room, her sanctuary in trying times. She was hiding awkwardly outside of the door to the bedroom with her husband, Haresh. "She's been in a right mood for weeks now!"

"Gita, for god's sake, she won't talk to us!" Haresh whispered back. "If we tried to force her, she'd get angrier with us."

"Haresh, that is my daughter breaking something that is most likely very expensive in there." Gita narrowed her eyes in response. "I am not going to sit back and let her angry moods get the better of her! She's been a right whirlwind of fury these past few weeks!"

"Gita -" Haresh tried.

"How do we cheer her up? Oh! I could take her salsa dancing!"

Haresh pinched the bridge of his nose as he tuned out his wife's ramblings and his daughter's stifled rage, wondering just what he had done to deserve such a horrible fate. The ringing of the doorbell cut off Gita's ramblings and Haresh seized the opportunity to escape.

"Haresh!" Gita cried out before cutting herself off quickly in an attempt to avoid alerting Rani of her presence. Haresh ignored her, striding down the staircase and opening the door to find Clyde Langer standing on his driveway, his hands stuffed in his pocket.

Haresh expected to be annoyed, but something in Clyde's contemplative expression forced him to hold his tongue. He frowned. Years of developing a system as a head teacher was alerting him that something was very wrong with Clyde and Rani.

~SJA~

"Now, Sky, this won't hurt much," Professor Rivers told the girl as she adjusted some of her equipment. She turned back, clad in her spectacles and fixed her a warm smile.

Sky sighed. She just wanted to get it over with and go home. She nodded to let the professor know that she gave consent for her experiments. Sky leaned back in her chair and tuned out the professor's aimless babbling as the clicking of keys on keyboards filled the room.

Sky couldn't pay attention. There was a noise in her head. It was deep, pulsating and carried weight and gravity. It took her a second to home in and realise it was a laugh. The beeping whir of machinery caught her attention. A drone circled around her once, twice, a third time. The laugh became deeper, almost unbearable. Sky's head hurt. Her chest hurt. Everything hurt. Anger developed and bubbled deep inside and she just felt the urge to kill, destroy, release.

Her eyes narrowed impossibly until they disappeared, her lip curled and twisted into something garish, horrible. Electricity crackled and fizzed around her but Sky wasn't in control, not this time. With a terrifying scream, the electricity dispersed around the room. Screams of agony and fear pierced the air, the sounds of explosions filled the room, and then there was silence.

Sky opened her eyes, but it wasn't Sky, not really. Skipping over to the monitor, she examined the screaming pixel of Professor Celeste Rivers for a moment, her lips twisting into a carnivorous smile before she flicked the charred remains of the computer off. And then she forgot.

Sky gasped. The headache was gone now but she was confused at the sight of the empty room and charred equipment. Whatever happened to Professor Rivers? Shrugging it off instantly, she moved to the door and skipped out, never questioning why she was suddenly standing when she was sitting a second ago.

~SJA~

A yawn escaped Sarah Jane's parted lips and she sat patiently in the waiting room of the institute. Her eyes flicked over the embossed logo. Rather pompous, if you asked her. She didn't dwell on her thoughts for long as Sky trotted into the room without a care in the world.

"All done!" Sky declared cheerily, all but pulling her out of her seat. Sarah Jane looked around expectantly and frowned at the distinct lack of company with her adopted daughter.

"Where's Professor Rivers?"

Sky frowned, as if the thought hadn't occurred to her, before she looked up and shrugged innocently. Sarah Jane's frown deepened. Professor Rivers usually always said goodbye to them.

"Can we go now?" Sky pestered. Sarah Jane sighed, and nodded. Sky cheered quietly and pulled her out the door. Sarah Jane looked back briefly.

She shrugged it off. She could catch up with Professor Rivers later. She hadn't realised her hand had slipped out of Sky's, so she recoiled in shock when an electric shock passed between their fingers.

Sarah Jane frowned at the implications. She also couldn't help but notice the slightly dishevelled and singed appearance the little girl was sporting.

~SJA~

"Oh, I don't know." Rani sighed as he leaned back on her bed, clutching her pillow tightly. She spared a glance at Clyde, who had his gaze fixed on her. His hands were stuffed in his jacket pockets and her was eyeing her intensely. "What?"

"You feel it, don't you?" Clyde asked plaintively. "The frustration of forgetting?"

"Why would I feel that?" Rani challenged.

"Because I feel it too," Clyde retorted effortlessly. Rani met his gaze for several seconds and silence filled the void. Eventually, Rani tore her gaze away and pursed her lips into a thin line. Her eyes bore into her pillow.

"It's weird," Rani finally decided on when the memory escaped her once again. "I can't sleep at night. I hear her screaming, her crying, her laughing, even her name! But I can't remember her _face_ , Clyde. My own daughter and I can't remember the colour of her eyes or her hair. I can't remember her favourite colour, her favourite food, her favourite flower. Why can't I remember that? It's tearing me apart!"

"Yeah, I feel that way too." Clyde sighed resignedly. The two sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, wallowing in their own self-pity and trying to picture the face of the daughter they had lost. The only source of sound was the loud ramblings of Gita - something to do with how "salsa dancing was as viable an option as bungee jumping." The two chuckled hopelessly.

"Things aren't going to just go back to how they were, will it?" Rani murmured, clinging to the pillow tightly. "We won't go back to the people we were, with this...this truth hanging over us. We're technically older than everybody at school now. This is all a huge mess."

"Do you regret it?" Clyde asked her suddenly. Rani was taken aback.

"I've not really thought about it," she admitted. It was true. Lately, she had been far more concerned with so many other details that she hadn't questioned what the twenty years of inky memory meant for her and Clyde.

"Oh…" Clyde trailed off, unsure how to respond. He clapped his hands together, trying to cheer himself up. "Tell you what, let's go visit Sarah Jane. Maybe she can help us."

"Yeah?" Rani asked contemplatively. At Clyde's encouraging nod and her own eagerness to escape the emotional turmoil their conversation brought, she sighed and hauled herself off the bed, grabbing her jacket and flicking her hair. "Right, let's go then."

~SJA~

The car pulled up into the drive and a chipper Sky jumped out, the events that had transpired already erased from her conscious memory. Sarah Jane, on the other hand, took her time as she exited the car, frowning as she tried to piece together what had happened to her friend.

"You okay, Sarah Jane?" Clyde's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to see both him and Rani join her on the driveway. She offered them a small smile in greetings before it quickly disappeared from her lips.

"Something strange happened at the Pharos Institute," she explained.

"Strange how?" Rani asked, leaning in curiously.

"Well…" Sarah Jane paused, realising how flimsy her reasoning sounded in her head. "Professor Rivers didn't say goodbye to us today."

Sure enough, her young friends scoffed at her observation. They tried, very badly, to cover up their error of judgement and earned one of Sarah Jane's patented glares as she stood to her full height and crossed her arms.

"What, and you think something strange is happening because of that?" Rani asked seriously, attempting damage control. "She might have been busy, right?"

"Maybe," Sarah Jane murmured.

"What is it?" Clyde asked her.

"Well, I can't help but feel something's _wrong,"_ Sarah Jane answered. Before she could elaborate, the honk of a car horn captured the trio's attention and they turned to see a taxi pulling up on the sidewalk. A light bulb exploded in Sarah Jane's head, and she brought her hands to her mouth to cover her gasp. "Oh, I had forgotten all about it!"

"Forgotten about what?" Rani asked, eyeing the taxi inquisitively. She received her answer when a familiar duo stepped out of the taxi, the eldest rambling aimlessly while the younger, with significantly bushier hair, smiling and nodding at what she said.

They were quickly identified as the grandmother and grandson unit, Jo and Santiago Jones. The boy in question turned his head and shot them a helpless look and they couldn't help but chuckle.

Jo seemed to have noticed them as she hurriedly paid their driver while Santiago dragged their luggage behind him. She threw her arms around Sarah Jane and squeezed tightly, laughing joyfully.

"Sarah Jane Smith!" Jo exclaimed jovially.

"Jo Jones!" Sarah Jane smiled brightly as she hugged her friend. "Wonderful to see you again!"

"And you!" Jo replied earnestly. Santiago walked up to Clyde and Rani and smiled brightly at them, a smile the duo reciprocated. Jo pulled away and enveloped Clyde and Rani in a warm hug of their own.

~SJA~

Clyde, Rani and Santiago all clambered into the attic. Clyde scanned the area and was surprised when he didn't locate Sky.

"I see this place hasn't changed." Santiago marvelled. "Granted, it's not as awesome as a bigger-on-the-inside police box."

"Nah, it's just as awesome," Clyde proclaimed proudly, puffing out his chest slightly.

"Speaking of the police box, have you guys seen him lately?"

"No, not really." Clyde shrugged. "Not since we last met, anyway."

"Seriously?" Santiago gawked at their casual stance. "You're chill about not seeing this dude from outer space and his magic blue box?"

"We have other things that occupy our time, Santiago," Rani laughed. Santiago's cheeks flushed and he nodded sheepishly. Sky chose that moment to bound into the attic, fresh out of the shower. She eyed Santiago curiously.

"You're not Luke," she noted, looking disappointed.

"No, I'm not." Santiago nodded in confirmation. "We haven't met. I'm Santiago."

"I'm Sky," Sky introduced herself as she looked around the attic distractedly.

"Are you okay, Sky?" Rani asked worriedly. She noticed how Sky clung to the door for support.

"Where's Sarah Jane?" Sky asked instead, completely ignoring Rani's question.

"She's in the living room." Clyde frowned. "Why -"

Sky was already hovering out of the door. Clyde and Rani shared a concerned look at her behaviour. Had they been paying attention, they would have noticed how the shadow the retreating Sky cast on the wall seemed to grow and become darker.

~SJA~

"We're only popping in for a quick visit, and then we're off to Iceland," Jo explained as Sarah Jane poured her a mug of tea.

They had flocked to the living room and were seated comfortably in the living room while Clyde, Rani and Santiago retreated upstairs. Sky had disappeared as soon as they returned. She was probably taking a shower, her clothes and hair were slightly singed when she had returned from her check up.

"That sounds exciting," Sarah Jane encouraged as she sipped her tea. The two sat in comfortable silence and listened to the ticking of the old grandfather clock. Sarah Jane tapped her mug as she contemplated. "Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes," Jo replied easily, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "I wondered if something had happened." Sarah Jane smiled sadly at that. "He never returned, never popped in to say hello, but Clifford was there for me, and now I have Santiago and Sydney and my whole family."

"I do," Sarah Jane confirmed. "But, like you, I found a happy life, and I'm glad. If it wasn't for a good friend of mine or Luke, I don't think I would be as happy and content as I am now."

"Oh, that reminds me," Jo started excitedly, all but leaping out of her seat, her tea cup nearly clattering to the floor and the contents precariously dangling off the edge for gravity to play its role in the descent for a messy end on Sarah Jane's carpet. "Santiago and I have just been to this gorgeous temple, ancient and rustic. It had the smell of ancient oak, oooh." She sighed a happy sigh. "It was _magnificent_."

Sarah Jane chuckled. Jo's enthusiasm was infectious.

"Now, what was I doing? Oh, yes!" Jo snapped out of her stupor and shot Sarah Jane an excited grin. "Santiago took pictures! You have to see them, they are glorious." Jo turned to exit the room but Sky chose that moment to stalk into the room. Her eyes were limp and she looked gaunt in a noticeably taller body. Jo gasped and leaped back in shock, hand over her heart. "Oh, Heaven's oyster pearls!"

"Sky?" Sarah Jane pushed herself out of her seat, alarmed at Sky's appearance and Jo's rather dramatic reaction. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Sky answered, her voice thick with fear and confusion. Her body began to crackle with electricity. Sarah Jane instantly pushed Jo backwards. "I feel… I feel…"

Sarah Jane and Jo were blinded by the sudden discharge of electricity that Sky exuded, forcing them to cover their eyes with their hands. The light bulb shattered, the television burst into an explosion, the windows shattered and the photo that lined the wall all crashed onto the ground.

Eventually, Sarah Jane lowered her hands and noticed the damage. The living room looked akin to a war zone. Glass littered the floor, electrical appliances lay broken on the ground, the air was thick with smoke and electricity, and Sky lay in the heart of it, unconscious. Sarah Jane gasped in shock, moving to shake her daughter out of her slumber, to no avail.

" _Sky!"_

~SJA~

Sarah Jane, with the help of Jo, Santiago, Clyde and Rani, managed to move Sky to the attic where she could rest and be scanned by Mr Smith. The Xylok had assured them that Sky would make a full recovery, even though it wasn't as credible as Rani would like considering he didn't know what was wrong with her in the first place.

Rani bit her lip as she watched the sleeping girl. She looked calm and serene when asleep, the weight of the world lifted off her shoulders. Rani thought, briefly, where Sky escaped to in her dreams. Did she dream of more adventures, or her home on the Fleshkind world?

But that wasn't all Rani was thinking about. Pressing her hands to her temple, she attempted to picture the face of her daughter Sarah for the millionth time in five weeks. Thoughts and images circled around her thoughts but they wouldn't correlate. Her face was blurred. All the little, important details that she should remember, the things she wanted to remember, were gone. In the place of facts was a blur.

Rani paused. She could've sworn she heard indistinct whispering. Murmurs reverberating off the walls and filling her senses with the deepest, spine-tingling chill. She glanced around to confirm she was alone. Sarah Jane and Jo had retreated to someplace to talk in private while Clyde was making the tea. She strained her ears to listen, to make out the words.

Rani was so engrossed trying to hone in on the indecipherable words she nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand clasped around her shoulder. Letting out a small squeak, Rani spun around to see Santiago, his lips pursed and his eyes lit up in a way that suggested he was trying his best to hold back bubbling laughter.

"Sorry," he apologised with a chuckle as Rani let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Santiago," Rani said, mostly in comfort for herself. "Don't do that!"

"Hey, I said I'm sorry, at least," Santiago held up his hands placatingly with an award winning grin. "What are you doing up here by yourself anyway?"

The smile fell from Rani's face and she sighed sombrely.

"No reason. I just want to make sure she's okay," she replied as she took residence on the steps, Santiago at her side. "It's strange. This has never happened before."

Santiago looked at Rani, properly, for perhaps the first time since they met. He admired the way her chestnut hair fell below her shoulders, her hazel brown eyes that held a relentless curious spark, ravenous for new information, and the little bite of her lip whenever she was worried. So maybe he had a little crush on her, but he wasn't afraid to admit that. Not at all.

"I always wanted to travel," Rani admitted with a sigh, trying to focus on something other than Sky or her lost daughter. God knows how Sarah Jane felt. "See the world, you know? Ever since I was a kid. There's so much out there, so much to see, to _do_ , but journalism always came first, you know?"

"And now?" Santiago asked when she had finished.

"Now I'm not sure," Rani shrugged. "I still want to become a journalist, but it's no longer...as _fixed_ as it used to be."

Santiago pursed his lips. What he was about to do was a leap. A _huge_ leap that could turn this blossoming friendship on its head and replace it with an awkward aura that he would regret for the rest of eternity, but Santiago was nothing if not a thrill seeker.

"Would you like to come with us?" he asked timidly.

"What?" Rani snorted, looking thrown by his question. "Where did this come from?"

"Well, you said it yourself, you want to see the world!" Santiago continued excitedly. "Me and gran do it all the time, you could come with us!"

"Hang on, slow down," Rani chuckled. "What's brought this on?"

"Clyde mentioned you'll be done with school soon." He grinned when Rani nodded in confirmation, a small smile on her face as the prospect graced her thoughts. "That's great! I've never been to school, but you've been there almost all your life; why not take a break? Travelling the world is totally awesome, I should know!" Rani giggled at that. "And - don't tell gran I said this - but sometimes even her eccentricity doesn't hold my attention sometimes."

Rani laughed. She shouldn't have, Santiago had just admitted he was lonely in his travels, but she needed a reason to laugh and take her mind off things, and he didn't look insulted in the slightest. After she sobered, her thoughts turned contemplative. Rani had always had her life planned out, she always knew what she wanted to do in the long run, but this unknown variable was brand new and, she had to admit it, really appealing.

She had asked Clyde if he wanted to see the world last August, because she was curious, and because she herself yearned for the kind of adventure life on Bannerman Road couldn't supply her with. There were things holding her back, things she needed to do and sort out. Rani wasn't going to run away from home, that wasn't who she was. With that, she turned to Santiago with resolve.

"I'll think about it," she said with a firm nod.

"Brilliant!" Santiago grinned. It was infectious, Rani couldn't help but smile as well.

Santiago may have acted on impulse, the spur of the moment, but there was nothing to make him feel guilty about his choice. He was happy, and Rani was happy, but, if he had taken the time to turn around, he would notice the door was slightly ajar and Clyde was looking at both of them, fists clenched and his eyes filled with hurt.

~SJA~

"It was nice visiting, but now we really must be off." Jo said as she fiddled around with her bag. The taxi was waiting outside for them and they were wrapping up their goodbyes and doing last minutes checks.

"We have to stop by and see some relatives before we move on." Santiago explained as he zipped up a bag. He stood to his full height and grinned impishly at the three. "We kind of forgot last time."

"Oh, don't be like that! You know as well as I do that it was a busy day!" Jo huffed. Sarah Jane, Clyde and Rani laughed. The Jones family never failed to amuse and entertain.

"Well, it was wonderful to see you, once again." Sarah Jane beamed as much as she could when she hugged Jo. The teenagers smiled fondly at the sight before Santiago turned to the teenage duo of Bannerman Road.

"I hope Sky gets better," he said sincerely with a small smile. After Clyde and Rani nodded their heads in appreciation, Santiago clicked his fingers at Rani. "Remember to think about it."

"I will." Rani shared his grin as she sidled closer to him. "Enjoy Iceland." She said as she kissed his cheek.

Clyde watched the seemingly harmless gesture and his smile dropped into a frown momentarily. He plastered a fake smile as he bid Santiago a brief goodbye. Jo walked over babbling about how they reminded her of an Egyptian temple as she wrapped her arms around them both.

Sarah Jane replaced Jo at their side as the blonde woman quickly hopped into the taxi when the driver honked the horn impatiently. The three waved as the taxi pulled out of the drive and left their sight.

As soon as they were gone, Sarah Jane promptly turned on her heels and went to check up on Sky, leaving Clyde and Rani to their own devices. Rani quickly turned to the despondent Clyde.

"Hey, wanna come to town with me?" she asked excitedly. A frown marred Clyde's face.

"Oh, I can't. I'm, er, bus,." he stuttered, quickly leaving Rani in his wake. The girl stood in the drive alone, confused.

~SJA~

"But you said her condition would improve!" Sarah Jane hissed at Mr Smith, gesturing towards Sky's prone form.

"I regret I do not have enough data to fully form an accurate diagnosis, Sarah Jane," Mr Smith informed her in his gravelly, metallic voice. Sarah Jane scoffed and turned away from him. Her eyes softened at the sight of Sky and she sighed heavily. She looked as young as she had been when she had first aged during the factory, despite her aged appearance.

"Just… tell me if her condition improves, Mr Smith. Please?"

"Of course, Sarah Jane."

~SJA~

"That's awful. You will give Sarah Jane my wishes, won't you?" Haresh muttered sadly as he dried a plate. "I don't know what your mother and I would do if you were in that position."

"You're changing the subject," Rani scowled, crossing her arms. Haresh busied himself with the menial task of placing the plate in the correct drawer, hoping to buy some time. Rani's eyes bore into him, waiting impatiently for his response.

"I'm just not sure," Haresh confessed with a frown when he finally turned to face her. "These people are complete strangers-"

"To you!" Rani interrupted.

"And what about university?" Haresh frowned, "You always said you wanted to go there."

"I do!" Rani assured her father with a smile, "I really, really do, but I want to see other things as well, you know? And this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and Sarah Jane knows these people anyway and they're my friends, so they're not complete strangers and I just- I really want to go on this trip, dad!"

That was only part of the reason. Over the past five weeks, Rani had been questioning her motives and aspirations. She couldn't quite slot back into normal everyday life She was also growing restless on Bannerman Road. As much as she wanted it to be, it wasn't her utopia. The streets were too loud, the air was too dirty and her grades were starting to slip at school. There was a whole world out there waiting for her, offering a more tranquil life. One where she didn't have to get up at ungodly hours in the morning to go to school or work. The prospect was tempting.

Haresh studied her closely. Minutes trickled by, the two stood in a quiet staredown, the ticking of the clock the only indication time was still progressing without them. Finally, he receded. "Fine," he sighed. "I'll think about it."

Rani grinned, launching herself at her father and wrapping her arms around him. She squeezed him tightly. "Thank you, thank you! You won't regret it, promise!"

"Well, I should hope not," Haresh sighed in defeat. Rani was still grinning brightly when she pulled back and grabbed her coat. Haresh watched her as she swiftly gathered her backpack and phone in a practised motion. "Give my regards to Sarah Jane."

"I will!" Rani promised as she bounded out the door.

~SJA~

He wasn't quite sure where they were. It was always a blur now that he was condemned from time travel. He had just left a planet (he wasn't sure when) when he felt it. That nagging sensation that seemed to chill his bones and enrapture his thoughts.

He frowned. There was a disturbance, one that warranted further investigation.

The squawk of a parrot, and the man was gone, as if he was never there in the first place. One could compare him to a ghost, but one powerful being would describe him with a single, powerful word.

Stupid.

~SJA~

A day had passed and Sky's condition hadn't improved. Sarah Jane refused to leave her side, insistent that she wanted to be there when she woke up, and Rani refused to go home yet, despite her mother's calls, and that's how she found herself making tea in Sarah Jane Smith's kitchen.

Her gaze flicked idly over the newspaper splayed out on the counter adjacent to her, one that hadn't been granted the opportunity for recycling and was reduced to remaining on the counter, gathering up dust, long forgotten.

The page was marked off on an article hypothesising the global event that occurred months ago, _The Miracle_. Sarah Jane had been looking into it, but the situation seemed to have been resolved.

Rani was pulled out of her thoughts by the distinct sound of Sarah Jane's doorbell. Setting the cups of tea down, Rani made her way to the front door and was pleasantly surprised to find Clyde on the other side.

Clyde, on the other hand, was less than thrilled.

"How's Sky?" Clyde asked curtly before Rani could open her mouth to greet him.

"There's no change, but I'm sure she'll come round soon," replied Rani, slightly unsure what she'd done to upset him.

"Oh, well, is Sarah Jane upstairs?" he asked, avoiding looking at Rani.

"Yeah, she's still with Sky. She won't leave her even for a second," she replied, frowning at Clyde's tone.

Without a word, Clyde started up the stairs.

"Clyde, wait," said Rani. "Just talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I don't know...there's just so much in my head, a whole life which happened but didn't happen. Everything was washed away, all that time we spent trapped there. I know it happened, and I can remember bits of it sometimes. But I can't remember _her_ , I can't remember a single thing about her. It's not even like she's out there somewhere...at least I know Ellie is out there. But, our daughter...it's like she never even existed."

"I know what you mean. And the harder you think, the less you can remember. Just...don't shut me out okay."

"Says you," he retorted.

"Wha- you heard what Santiago said, didn't you?" she asked, trying to keep things civil.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. So you're off then, without a second glance?" he said, his voice rising.

"It's not like that Clyde. He just sprung the idea on me, I was going tell you as soon as I got the chance."

"And when was that going to be, _he_ can't be in the country much longer?"

"I _was_ going to tell you. I just needed time to think."

"So, are you going to go with him?" he interjected, his fists clenched, "Are you?!"

"This, life, it's so much harder now. After everything we went through, we just get to come back to normality, back to our old lives. I can't do it Clyde, I just can't. Nothing can be the same, even this place, it just reminds me of everything we've lost. Right now, it's all too much, and this is a perfect way out."

"A way out?!" he retaliated, "So you just want to leave it all behind and run away with them, with _him_!"

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it," said Rani loudly, tears in her eyes.

"Well it certainly sounds like that!" Clyde shouted. "I'm sure you'll be very happy _together_!"

"It's not like that Clyde!" yelled Rani, tears now streaming from her eyes, "but if that's what you want to think then fine! I don't care anymore!"

"Go then! Just...go," he snapped back at her before storming up the stairs.

Rani just stood there, her eyes still streaming. As soon as the door upstairs slammed shut, she started sobbing, sliding down the wall.

~SJA~

Sarah Jane was tired. Sky still hadn't woken from her slumber, but her vitals indicated she was still alive. Dark bags clung to the ridge beneath her eyelids and her body argued with Rani when the younger woman had insisted that she has something to eat or drink. She had heard the shouting on the staircase, of course she had, but if she was perfectly honest, she didn't really care.

That was, until Clyde stormed in and slammed the door angrily. It wasn't until his eyes made contact with Sarah Jane's scrutinising glare that he had the grace to look bashful. He mumbled a quick apology and made his way over to his sketching station, Sky long forgotten and the argument with Rani stewing in his mind.

Sarah Jane observed the boy. She had a choice; she could ignore Clyde in his time of need, or she could actually be the friend she had presented herself as to everybody and help him. Her maternal instincts kicked in.

"What's wrong Clyde?" she asked him.

"There's nothing wrong with me. Rani on the other hand...did she tell you about wanting to go off travelling?"

"She's always dreamed of going off around the world, we both know that. Sometimes, even if it doesn't look like a good idea, you still have to leap in head first."

"I know, and I get that. But like this, just out of the blue. She didn't even bother telling me, and Santiago offered to take her off two days ago."

"Rani had her reasons I'm sure, and you two haven't been talking that much recently," said Sarah Jane. "After everything that happened in that place, I can't say I blame her for wanting to go off and explore the world."

"But, she'd just leave us all behind to go off having fun."

"Clyde, listen to me. She's not doing this to hurt anyone, she's doing it because she needs to. She should go and explore the world, see amazing sights, and do fantastic things. Look at Maria, she's done brilliantly in America, but she still stays in touch, and Luke is only down the road really. While they might not be _here_ , they haven't really left everything behind. Now, I know you're angry at Rani for not telling you sooner, but don't let this ruin everything. You can't just keep your feelings bottled up. Okay?"

Clyde nodded sheepishly. He felt a little silly at being scolded by Sarah Jane, even if she did it far too often.

"I feel a right fool," Clyde groaned, covering his face with his hands in shame. Sarah Jane just crossed her arms and waited. Clyde turned to face her soon enough. "Thanks, Sarah Jane. I don't know where we'd be without you."

"It's my pleasure, Clyde," Sarah Jane smiled. "You've helped me a lot since you came into my life. It's only fair I return the favour."

"You were a right grump when I first met you," Clyde snorted. " _Frosty."_

"Watch it, kid," Sarah Jane chuckled warmly. The moment dissolved as soon as Sarah Jane's watch started beeping erratically. Before she could ever flip the lid to examine the readings, a hand shot through the wall and clenched into a fist in front of her face. Sarah Jane nearly fell back and out of the stool in shock.

"What is _that?!_ " Clyde spluttered as he also leapt out of his chair.

"I don't know, but keep back!" Sarah Jane ordered as she scrambled for her sonic lipstick. She found it at Sky's bedside and snatched it up. She froze when indistinct whispering chattered ominously through the room, the source unidentifiable.

"Sarah Jane!" Clyde wailed. Quicker than Sarah Jane ever thought she could move, she twisted around to come face to face with a pale white… face, the difference being the eye sockets were empty and lacking in pupils and irises. It opened its mouth to reveal a row of jagged, discoloured teeth and hissed a putrid smog of horrible smelling breath at her.

A steady hand gripped her arm and yanked her back from her shock. With the distance, Sarah Jane had the opportunity to assess the threat. The creature was dressed head to toe in a black tuxedo, topped off with the signature bowling hat. More figures streamed into the room in spades and surrounded the pair until they were confined to the space near Sky's makeshift bed. Sarah Jane attempted to move forward, but was hissed back into her place. She decided there was no escape and they would have to wait and see what the creatures desired.

"Get your hands _off_ me!" Rani yelled as one of the chittering creatures dragged her into the room and shoved her alongside her compatriots. She relaxed slightly when she noticed Sarah Jane, ignoring Clyde completely as she rubbed her sore wrist, "Sarah Jane, what are they?"

"I don't know, Rani," Sarah Jane admitted. She narrowed her eyes as she observed the creatures in closer detail. "But I think that we're about to find out what they want."

" _You will remain_ ," the creature whispered, its empty eye sockets directed solely at Sarah Jane.

"For what? Who are you?"

" _We are the Whispermen. You will remain_." the creatures demanded simultaneously.

Sky suddenly started to cough uncontrollably, her prone form shuddering every time she did. Sarah Jane moved to tend to her but a creature roughly grabbed her and yanked her right into Clyde and Rani.

"Let me see her!" Sarah Jane ordered gruffly. The creature simply titled it's head at her. A black aura suddenly enveloped Sky's hacking form and Sarah Jane's bravado dissolved into a whimper, "let me see my daughter!"

~SJA~

Sky woke up in perfect health.

Moreover, she woke up confused by her surroundings. The room - chamber - was dark, impossibly so. There wasn't even the faintest of sounds and when she looked down, she noted, with surprise, that there was no ground. She was floating.

Suspended in the air.

A giggle erupted from her lips. It shouldn't have, she didn't feel very happy. In fact, she was very, very scared. Where was she? Where were Clyde and Rani? And the strange boy? Where was Sarah Jane?

Suddenly, a searing pain washed over her and filled her entire being. It only lasted a second, but Sky screamed as if she had been in pain for centuries. When she next opened her eyes (she hadn't realised she had closed them), she was a child again.

And she was looking directly at an older version of herself.

~SJA~

" _I… I can breathe_ , _"_ Sky announced, seemingly dumbfounded. The hacking had receded and the black aura had dissipated. Her back was turned to them and Sarah Jane couldn't get a proper look at her face as the creatures insisted on keeping them at bay.

"Sky?" Sarah Jane called out, "Are you okay?"

" _Sarah Jane Smith_ , _"_ Sky hissed in a voice unlike her own. Sarah Jane shared a confused glance with Clyde and Rani. Her confusion melted into horror when Sky turned around and she was given a good look at her face. The eyes were gone. Replacing them were two, very familiar, eye sockets, distinct in their lack of pupils. Her lips were parched, cracked and curled up into a lopsided grin, revealing a row of jagged yellow teeth. The rest of her face was normal, her hair flowing around her like it usually did, her clothes the same as before. It was just that face.

That very familiar face.

"No," She gasped. "It can't be. Not you."

" _Even now, you deny what is right in front of you_ ," 'Sky' hissed. " _You are ignorant, Sarah Jane Smith_. _I see you have kept your underlings, but not your son. A shame. I shall take pleasure in meeting him once more."_

"You leave him alone!" Sarah Jane demanded, her fighting spirit reinvigorated, "How? How can you be in Sky? She couldn't have made an agreement, she wasn't dying!"

" _Ignorant woman_ , _"_ 'Sky' tutted." _This girl was created to be my vessel into the world. She has my seed and my consciousness since the moment of her creation."_

"You mean… you're her _dad?!"_ Clyde exclaimed, looking visibly sickened. "She's the Trickster-Sky? Oh, I feel like I'm in Year 7 Biology class again."

" _She is my absolution, Sarah Jane Smith_ ," the Trickster-Sky announced victoriously. " _She has allowed me powers beyond your comprehension and the abilities to create long-lasting chaos."_

"But she was under my care!" Sarah Jane retorted.

" _Just as I had planned."_

"My own daughter against me? How could you? It's sick!" Sarah Jane yelled, the tremor in her voice noticeable.

" _She was never your daughter, Sarah Jane Smith_ ,"The Trickster-Sky taunted, accompanied by the sinister laughter of her lackeys. " _She has been my absolution since the moment of creation. I am not benign to intimate entanglements but she shall be with me until the end of the universe and all of it… was your fault."_

"So, what now?" Sarah Jane took a step forward, but was pulled back by Clyde and Rani, "Are you going to kill us? Is that it? Your plan? Take my daughter away at the moment of my death?"

" _Senile woman_ , _"_ The Trickster-Sky howled with laughter. " _I no longer require to snuff out your life as a gateway into your world. I now have unimaginable power at my disposal and you will witness as your world crumbles under my command."_

"I don't like the sound of that," Clyde muttered. The Trickster-Sky tilted her head to look at him.

" _And you, Clyde Langer, will pay for your treasonous act of defying me millennia ago_ , _"_ Trickster-Sky hissed.

Sarah Jane was at a loss. She wanted to fight back, to retort and debunk the Trickster, to save Sky at that very moment, but she couldn't. For now, she would have to retreat. Surreptitiously uncapping the lid of her lipstick, Sarah Jane gave the Trickster one last defiant glare.

"I have stopped you before, I _will_ do it again," she vowed heatedly before she aimed and unleashed a sonic wave on the attic's light bulb, shattering it as a method of diversion. "Mr Smith, protect us!" She turned to Clyde and Rani and shoved them out the door. "Go, move!"

The shattered light bulb succeeded in confusing the Trickster's compatriots and the added effect of Mr Smith's resurgence and full-frontal laser assault resulted in a few casualties. The Trickster-Sky remained ambivalent to this development. She had power now, something she noted with glee as electricity crackled and surged through her.

~SJA~

The three stumbled out of the front door. Sarah Jane could have sworn she was in shock. Her hands were shaking and her heart was racing. She could have been crying, but she wasn't quite sure whether it was rain or not. She just felt numb.

"Did that just happen?" Clyde asked as he bent over, catching his breath.

"Sarah Jane, are you okay?" Rani asked in between her pants, gazing at the older woman in concern.

"I don't know, Rani," Sarah Jane shook her head mournfully. "He's planned this to the last detail. He's taken Sky. What do I do?"

Before Rani and Clyde could answer her, Gita trundled through the driveway, waving at them with a happy grin. Sarah Jane was hardly surprised anymore, Gita had a habit of bursting to the scene when she wasn't wanted.

"Ah, there you are, Rani," Gita smiled tightly, pointing an accusatory finger at her only daughter. "I need to have a word with you."

"Mum, now _really_ isn't the time," Rani spoke through gritted teeth, trying to dissuade Gita from further speech. Whether it was luck or not was up to interpretation, but an almighty clap of thunder interrupted Gita as she opened her mouth to speak.

She pursed her lips, but was otherwise undeterred until something caught her attention and rendered her wide-eyed and slack jawed.

Sarah Jane, Clyde and Rani followed the woman's line of vision only for their hearts to momentarily drop into their stomachs. Sarah Jane's house was suddenly taller and leaner than before, the top pointed in the shape of a giant tower.

"What…" Clyde stuttered, clearing his throat before he continued, "What is _that?_ "

"Oh no," Sarah Jane whispered. "He's taken my house and Mr Smith with it."

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Gita cut the mournful silence as thunder continued to crackle and boom. "Who's Mr Smith, Sarah? A new man? Oh, is this like a soap opera? You live an _Eastenders_ lifestyle, don't you, my darling?"

Further speech was cut off when Sarah Jane's flower garden grew and replicated, growing gnarlish, pale green-grey translucent roots that burrowed into the ground and forced the group of four out of the drive. The roots festered and soon enough, the sound of shattered glass and destroyed tarmac and debris bombarded their senses as houses caved in and the roots enraptured them in their venomous grip. Haresh quickly stumbled out of his crumbling house, accompanied by many others as they left their houses and stared at the giant tower casting a shadow over their neighbourhood in shock.

"This can't be happening," Rani exclaimed. Clyde made his way to a manhole cover in the ground and struggled to open it. Maybe they could hide in the sewers. Not a pleasant option, but one of the few they had left. He barely had time to react when a plethora of new roots shot out of the ground.

Thunder continued to crackle, roots continued to grow and replicate, and Sarah Jane continued to feel like she had lost.

~SJA~

"Stop it!" Younger Sky wailed, "This isn't what I want!"

"No," Older Sky shook her head and smirked. "This is _exactly_ what you want. You want to see this desolate planet crumble and fall. You want to rule over it in a new era and do you know what?"

"What?"

Older Sky's smirk grew, and she leaned forward. She motioned for younger Sky to join her and younger Sky found her feet moving until she was right in front of her older counterpart. The Older Sky leaned forward and whispered in her ear four simple words that made the blood pumping in her veins run cold.

"We grant your wish."

 **To Be Continued**


	6. The Battle of Bannerman Road Part Two

**The Sarah Jane Adventures** **  
** **The Battle of Bannerman Road - Part Two**

.

" _Whatever you choose, Sarah Jane Smith," Miss Myers sneered as Sarah Jane strode away. "Sky will fulfil her destiny."_ OPENING FLASHBACK: ITALIC

~SJA~

The tower hung over Bannerman Road like a citadel. Lightning crackled and boomed overhead, casting a looming shadow over Sarah Jane and her entourage. The woman who often stared into the face of danger valiantly was lost, dazed, confused. Everything she had fought for had been stripped from and used against her.

Clyde and Rani watched the rigid woman nervously, expecting a command. A bark of an order, anything to let them know Sarah Jane wasn't as hollow and broken as they feared she was.

"Sarah Jane?" Clyde called out cautiously. No response, "What do we do?"

Sarah Jane looked at him, her eyes hollow. Neither Clyde nor Rani could detect the usual inquisitive spark tailored to Sarah Jane alone and it filled them with utter despair.

"The Trickster's taken over the street. It won't be long until he is powerful enough to take over London. He's got all my equipment, and he's got Sky," Sarah Jane mumbled.

"I-I don't think I quite understand," Gita squeaked, clutching onto Rani tightly in fear and confusion. "What are you on about, Sarah?"

"Jane," Rani added quickly, flinching noticeably. Haresh stumbled into the drive, clumsily avoiding the ghostly pale roots. They all waited expectantly for Sarah Jane's answer. They didn't get one.

"Of all the things he could have done," Sarah Jane whispered. "He took a defenceless child and shaped her into a weapon before she even knew how to speak. It's sickening."

She lapsed back into silence, defeated.

~SJA~

The roots oozed along the floor, snaking upwards and constricting around the military building without warning. The personnel, scientists and soldiers alike, clambered towards the nearest exits, doors or windows or anything, it didn't matter which floor it was, they just wanted to escape, to live.

The few who had been lucky enough to escape watched as the building crumbled and buckled right before their very eyes. The roots continued slithering along the floor, the pale grey vegetation pulsating with added vigour, leaping off the ground and wrapping themselves around the dumbfounded soldiers. Their bloodcurdling screams were absorbed by the thick sticky roots. Those who tried to escape met a similar fate as the roots snaked around their legs and dragged them back, screaming and begging.

The roots moved away to reveal identical looking pale white men. Their eyes and nose stripped away, leaving behind hollow eye sockets and gnashing sharp rows of teeth. The few remaining soldiers stared, paralyzed with fear. They stumbled backwards, and the Whisper Men converged on them.

This exact scenario panned out in every single military base in London, their military soldiers and scientists taken away, any form of resistance squashed. Thunder crackled overhead. London had fallen.

~SJA~

"You're hurting people!" The younger Sky screeched, turning to face her older counterpart. The other Sky smirked.

"But this is what you want."

"No it isn't!"

The smirk faded off the older Sky's lips, her eyes adopting a colder tone. She walked over and gripped her younger counterpart by her arms. "Yes, it is!" she insisted, "Why can't you see that? We're one and the same! We both want the same thing!"

"No!" Younger Sky screamed angrily, shoving her older self away. In her self induced rage, she mustered the energy to produce a putrid yellow ball of electrical energy which she promptly launched at her older doppleganger. The older Sky merely sidestepped the beam, her hands behind her back.

"Not good enough," she smirked nefariously, her eyes sparkling with electrical energy. "Try again."

The younger Sky growled, summoning two more energy spheres and launching them at her older opponent. The older Sky raised her hands and the spheres dissipated almost instantly once they made contact with the palms of her hands.

"It's useless," the older counterpart taunted. "What hope do you have against me? You hone your powers from your friendships, I source my powers from our father."

"My friends are stronger!" Young Sky exclaimed vehemently.

"Oh, grow up, you know nothing..." The older Sky cackled, "You're seriously relying on friendship? What good does friendship have against the power of the Trickster? Did the power of friendship help end the feud between the Flesh and Metalkind?"

"I-" Young Sky faltered. Her older doppleganger sauntered over to her. The darkness around them was suddenly stifling, suffocating.

"You're nothing but a child."

~SJA~

Trinity Wells chewed on her lip as she flicked through her notes. The world was ending and she was sitting in her office chair about to record a news broadcast. She should have been at home, hiding and wallowing in pity, but she had a job to do. In the blink of an eye, she was on air. Calming her nerves, Trinity faced the camera with an ambivalent expression, covering up her fear.

"The entirety of London has been submerged in strange roots in the span of half an hour. All flights have been cancelled and airways blocked. The public have been assured that the phenomena will not affect America even as soldiers and scientists across the globe are struggling to understand what is happening. This is a dark day indeed, the United Kingdom is in a state of emergency, and I'm being told that communication towers are down," She gulped. "May god help them all."

~SJA~

The roots destroyed everything that crossed their path, from cars to cell towers. Buildings crumbled effortlessly, school buses full of little children toppled over. People scurried to safety, fleeing from their dystopian surroundings.

A little girl who was being yanked by the arm by her hysterical mother tripped over, lost in the stampede of the multitude of people too scared to register their surroundings. She cried loudly, terrified of being alone in such a scary place. The thunder crackled overhead. The air was biting. She was alone.

"I've got you," a woman grunted as she scooped the girl up in her arms. She was surprisingly strong, and her Welsh accent was identical to her own. Her eyes emanated warmth, and the girl felt safe. Her mother ran towards them, her eyes stained with tears; she had thought that her daughter was lost forever. The mysterious woman carefully placed the girl into her mother's arms. "Get to safety," she advised them. The woman nodded gratefully and hurried off to find a sanctuary.

Gwen Cooper watched them leave with a small smile. After making sure Rhys and Anwen were safe, she had stumbled out of their shelter and into hell. She had no idea what was happening, but she wanted it to be over.

Lightning filled the skies of Cardiff, and booming thunder echoed throughout the streets. It was like the rift all over again, and there was nothing Gwen could do. Cardiff had fallen.

~SJA~

The delicate balance of nature had toppled. Bannerman Road was in shambles. The people who were lucky enough to escape the collapsed houses scrambled for refuge. Police cars and ambulances soon arrived to assess the damage. The hysterical cry of civilians reverberated off of the street, policemen barked orders and firefighters rushed to help the vulnerable. The street collapsed into chaos.

The trademark black van of UNIT vehicles screeched to a halt on the road, and soldiers streamed out to assist in escorting civilians to safety. They promptly carted off the Chandra family and Clyde, despite their protests, but left Sarah Jane behind as instructed. Kate Stewart sauntered up the drive, her hands buried in her pockets. Her gaze flicked idly towards the looming tower with seeming disinterest. The fear in her eyes betrayed her calm demeanour.

"Renovating?" Kate snarked.

"What are you doing here, Kate?" Sarah Jane murmured. Kate studied the older woman. She looked despondent. She was sat in a garden chair, her hands on her lap. Her hair fell over the side of her face like a veil. She projected a defeated aura.

The forked thunder continued to hang overhead. Kate wondered if it would ever start raining. Her gaze flicked to her jeep. Osgood was waiting nervously with two guards. She sighed, bending down to address Sarah Jane.

"We're evacuating the street," Kate explained quietly. "All civilians will be taken to the safe houses present in London, but we need you to come with us."

"Why?"

"You're one of the few people on Earth who have inside knowledge on the Trickster. You know how he operates."

"Do I?" Sarah Jane laughed mirthfully. "Maybe I don't, Kate. He's planned all of this to the last detail."

"Nevertheless, I need you to come with me," Kate scowled at Sarah Jane's reluctance. "If you don't, I have two guards over there who will drag you under my command."

"You and I both know that you won't actually do that, Kate," Sarah Jane retorted.

"No," Kate agreed. "You're right."

Sarah Jane complied, pushing herself off the chair and following Kate out of the drive. Her eyes locked onto a particular woman standing off to the side, more specifically, her eyes locked onto the multicoloured scarf wrapped around her neck. She smiled sadly, yearning to wrap her hand around the soft fabric, but she refrained.

"I like your scarf," she told the woman. She nodded nervously. Sarah Jane couldn't help but notice that the girl looked a little older than a teenager. They all piled into a jeep and quickly drove away from Bannerman Road.

~SJA~

The Trickster Sky watched as the road was slowly evacuated, her lips curved into a sinister smile. She turned to the Whisper Men still present in the attic. Their army, moulded after their own image. The Trickster had looked into time, and stole a design as a blueprint for his own army, the harbingers of chaos.

" _Go, whittle down Earth's defences, instill fear_ ," she ordered. The Whisper Men complied, moving in sync and slipping through the walls, actively defying logic. Sarah Jane Smith and her planet had defied him for long enough. ALL TRICKSTER SKY SPEECH: ITALIC

~SJA~

"Could you run it by me one more time?" Haresh asked, struggling to digest what Rani was telling him. They were seated in a quiet part of the room they had been assigned once they arrived The room was not the sanctuary they were expecting. The floor was dusty, the room was dark and the walls were so thin they could hear the sobbing of a woman in the room next to theirs. Gita quietly sat on a chair further away from them, staring out the window distantly, absorbing the chaos around her.

"What's so confusing about it?" Rani asked incredulously, eyeing her father with disdain, "Clyde and I have been helping Sarah Jane and Luke save the world from aliens! Pretty self explanatory!"

"And this has been going on for how long?"

"Since we moved into Bannerman Road," Rani shrugged. She didn't see why her father was making such a big deal about her hobby when the world was falling apart around them.

"Three years," Haresh calculated. "Rani, what were you thinking?!"

"What's the big deal?!"

"This is dangerous behaviour, Rani. You could've been hurt."

"But I'm not hurt, am I? I'm still here!" Rani retorted.

"Yes, but you've lied to us for all these years!" Haresh flapped his hands in frustration, "That whole deal with those rhino men and that lizard alien was true and you acted like it was all a big joke!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Rani spluttered feebly, "Suddenly spring it on you? Like that would have gone over well."

"I knew that Langer boy was a bad influence," he said, scowling bitterly.

"Oi, don't drag Clyde into this!"

Haresh sighed, slumping in his seat slightly. His mind was whirring, attempting to piece the new information together and determining whether his pride in knowing his daughter thoroughly was misplaced. "I just don't understand," he admitted. "Why? Why do all this? Why run around putting your life in danger?"

Rani lapsed into silence, struggling to form her thoughts into words. Why did she endanger her life on a fixed basis? Why did she follow the mad woman across the road in her adventures? She must be mad, it was undisputable. Rani leaned forward, biting her lip.

"It's...hard to explain," she started, consolidating her thoughts. "I mean, yeah, some of the aliens are dangerous and scary and I could be killed, but that's only part of it! The universe is a big place, dad. It's like Earth, there are good people and bad people. We don't just fight bad guys, we help those who are lost or need help. You're the one who taught me to keep an open mind and that's what I've been doing- what I am doing."

"I still don't get it," Haresh confessed and Rani sighed. If he couldn't see her reasoning, what was the point?

"I do," Gita stated, rising from her seat resolutely and bending down in front of Rani, gripping her hands tightly. "I understand that my daughter has been very brave. I understand that she has saved people and the universe multiple times."

"But aliens, Gita!" Haresh spluttered.

"Aliens are just people from another planet, Haresh," Gita stated firmly, glaring at her husband. Haresh closed his mouth, apologetic. Gita turned back to Rani, "What your father is trying to say Rani, is that we are grateful you and your friends have been doing this. Parents usually worry and jump to conclusions that are far worse."

"Oh, mum," Rani smiled sadly, her eyes tearing up. "You must have been so worried."

"Well, now I know that it was all for nothing, don't I?" Gita grinned charmingly. Her expression sobered, and she looked at her daughter hopefully, "Can you save us now?"

"I don't know," Rani admitted quietly. "Sarah Jane's the one who comes up with all the plans to save us."

"Then you should be with her," Gita urged. "Rani Chandra with Sarah Jane Smith, saving the world. Off you go, find her."

"I don't know where she is!" Rani protested.

"I do, she just walked into this building. I saw her," Gita informed her proudly. It was true. She had seen a despondent Sarah Jane skulk into the safe house with a group of soldiers. Rani looked at her in surprise, already rising from her seat. Gita smiled. "Go on, my darling. Go." She shooed her daughter out the room with a smile on her face.

"Why, Gita?" Haresh asked her simply. Gita didn't move from the closed door.

"Because, Haresh, I have realised that my little girl has been a great woman for many years now, and we shouldn't rob her of this chance. We are her parents, we encourage her activities."

"But they're dangerous!"

"Isn't everything?" Gita retorted, "You were always far too protective, Haresh."

"Maybe you weren't protective enough."

"It doesn't matter, does it? We're lucky enough to call Rani our own."

Haresh bit his lip, retreating to the sanctuary of his mind to stew over the words.

~SJA~

"Mum?" Clyde called out. He was sitting in a chair, watching his mother worriedly. Carla Langer was stood by the window, staring out distantly. She had been silent ever since Clyde finished his diatribe. She didn't utter a word.

"Was Smithy an alien?" Carla asked sadly. Clyde noticed how her voice had cracked slightly. The loss was still looming over her.

"No," he lied. "Are you okay?"

"No. I've just found out my son has been fighting aliens and protecting Earth for the last few years," Carla said. Her words weren't biting, they were almost as monotone as Mr Smith. This surprised Clyde. He eyed his mother, a mixture of confusion and hope. "All these years I worried you'd end up like your father, Clyde."

"I know."

"All talk and no action, useless, arrogant," Her words were sharp this time and Clyde flinched at her tone. Carla turned around with a smile etched onto her face, unshed tears in her eyes. "But I was wrong. My son is nothing like his father. He spends his free time making sure people are safe to sleep at night. He helps lost aliens and fights bad ones and, the best part of all, he does it for free and always comes back to me at the end of the day." she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around Clyde. "I love you, Clyde."

"Love you too," Clyde mumbled, tears threatening to spill from his eyes as he reciprocated his mother's warm gesture. They languished at the touch for several seconds before the squawk of a parrot startled them apart. A man dressed in regal robes stood in the room with an enigmatic smile on his face.

"My, I do love a happy ending," he announced cheerfully, stroking his parrot. "Good day to you, Mr Langer. We meet again."

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Clyde spluttered.

~SJA~

" _Sky Smith."_

A voice called out for her. Sky looked around in confusion. Wasn't she just fighting her older counterpart? Her palms sizzled with unshed electrical energy. A stream of mist filtered into the room. The smog coalesced into the mysterious figure that often kept her company at night.

"Who are you?" Sky asked, "You've never told me."

" _Sky, I am your father._ "

"I don't understand," Sky complained, trying to move backwards. The man scared her now, The soft lull that often accompanied him was gone, replaced by a palpable fear. "Where am I?"

" _You are in my realm now, child. You are safe."_

"I want to go home."

" _This is your home now_." the Trickster retorted, gesturing towards their surroundings. " _A daughter must always live with her father_."

"You're not my father!"

" _Oh, but I am, Sky,"_ the Trickster retorted. " _I gave you life. My blood runs through your veins. You know this is true, why do you try to deny it?"_

"I…" Sky faltered. She wasn't sure about anything anymore.

" _Join me, Sky,"_ the Trickster extended his hand. Sky looked at his gloved palm in confusion. " _Join me by my side as the Child of Chaos. I only need your agreement."_

"My agreement," Sky murmured.

" _Do I have your agreement?"_ ALL TRICKSTER SPEECH: ITALIC

Everything made so much sense. Sky reached over and gripped his hand tightly, a malicious smile growing on her face.

"Yes."

~SJA~

Sarah Jane sat alone. Apart from the chair, the room was completely empty. No windows, no table, no bed, nothing. It was a strange arrangement, but it provided her solace to sort through her thoughts.

Sky had been taken and she was naively clinging to the possibility that the girl would be strong enough to fight her way out of the Trickster's grasp. She, of all people, was damning the world because of what she wanted.

Where was Luke? Kate had mentioned Oxford had been transformed into a makeshift safe house, the entire area was sealed off by the army. It was a fruitless attempt to maintain a semblance of order in anarchy, but it was all they had.

Was she being selfish? Absolutely, but she didn't care. For all the good she had done for the universe, maybe it was time it showed it wasn't as cruel as she thought it to be. All these thoughts swirled and coalesced in her busy mind. Always busy, Sarah Jane wondered if she ever rested. Constantly on the move. Foxgrove, Croydon, the TARDIS, Ealing, she never stopped. She was always running.

The door slowly opened, and the same scientist that had been present on Bannerman Road stepped into the room tentatively, a tray of biscuits and tea in her hands. She smiled nervously, unmoving. Sarah Jane realised she was waiting for permission to enter. She nodded curtly, and the woman hurriedly shuffled inside, placing the tray in Sarah Jane's lap.

"We have to make sure all the guests are properly sustained," the scientist explained, fumbling with her scarf nervously. "And you count as a guest, even if Kate is angry you won't pool your resources- maybe because you don't have your resources anymore and-" she paused, fumbling for her inhaler from her jacket and taking a puff. "Well, she's not really angry, she's just annoyed and worried- and you should probably have something to eat."

"I like your scarf," Sarah Jane repeated absently, tracing her fingers around the fabric delicately. "Have you ever met him?"

"N-no, but I'm a big fan. I've read all the field reports I could," the woman explained. "Most of them are still classified. You really _should_ eat, ma'am." ITALIC: "SHOULD"

"Why did you develop an interest?" Sarah Jane ignored the woman's request. "And my name is Sarah Jane."

"No reason, it's just...nice to know there's someone watching us, protecting us in a way UNIT or Torchwood could never do," she smiled to herself. "Oh, my name is Petronella, but people just call me Osgood- that's my surname."

"Why?"

"Well, it's easier, isn't it? What's the point of Petronella? Frankly, it's embarrassing," Petronella Osgood stated derisively. She shot Sarah Jane a self-depreciating smile.

"I think it's a lovely name," Sarah Jane told her bluntly.

"Oh. T-thank you, but I prefer Osgood," she flushed, scanning the room for a second chair and frowning when she noticed how barren it was. "Blimey, we really should make this place more hospitable."

"Mm," Sarah Jane hummed absentmindedly, returning her attention to the scarf and not her plate of food, to Osgood's disdain.

"Do you think he'll come here?" Osgood followed her gaze to her scarf, and wrapped herself in it, "Will he help us?"

"I don't know," Sarah Jane admitted, averting her gaze from the scarf. "Sometimes the Doctor can't be here. Sometimes he won't. I'm not sure why he's not here, but I am certain he would have been by now."

"Well, he wouldn't just leave us in this dystopia, would he?" Osgood inquired, slightly panicked, "I mean, he's the Doctor! Soldiers are being turned into these _creatures,_ people's lives are in danger and he's not here to defend us!"

Sarah Jane noted Osgood's hysteria, idly flicking her gaze to her, "The universe is a big place, Petronella Osgood. The Doctor's not here and there's nothing we can do to protect ourselves. We're defenceless, sitting ducks."

"My, Sarah Jane, the tone of defeat is hardly inspiring to such a young mind," the Shopkeeper said disapprovingly, materialising into the room with flourish. Clyde and Rani burst through the door soon after, panting slightly. The two males had intercepted Rani and joined her in their hunt for Sarah Jane. The woman leaped out of her seat, staring at the man in shock.

"What on Earth are you doing here?" she demanded, the spark returning to her eyes.

"I'm a servant of the universe, Miss Smith, I am where I always need to be," he ran his finger over the wall, eyeing it distastefully. "Your current situation is far from inspiring."

"No, this is your fault!" Sarah Jane exclaimed, pointing at him angrily, "Sky's in danger because you put her on _my_ doorstep. You said she would be safe! How could you possibly keep this from me?"

"Some things are beyond my control," the man stated neutrally, raising his hands and shrugged. "Time is constantly in flux, Sarah Jane. There are grey areas. I can't see everything, you know."

"The Doctor has grey areas too," Sarah Jane noted.

"Isn't that delightful?" the Shopkeeper snarked, "I can assure you I had no idea of Sky's capabilities, Sarah Jane."

"Well, you're here now, you can save us!"

"Wait, you're asking for help?" Clyde interrupted, butting into the conversation, "You never do that!"

"This is beyond our control, Clyde," Sarah Jane hissed.

"Hey," Rani strode over to her, placing her hands on her friend's shoulders. "I know you're hurting, and I know you're worried about Sky, but refusing to help the world because of it? It isn't you, Sarah Jane, it never has been. This isn't what Sky would want, this isn't what the Doctor taught you, and this is certainly isn't what you taught us to strive for."

"What do you want me to do, Rani?" Sarah Jane asked desperately, turning to each person in the room frantically, "What do any of you want me to do? I'm human! I can't do everything at once!"

"I am confident you know what to do, Miss Smith," the Shopkeeper mused. "I believe you have always known."

"Maybe I don't want to!"

"I've actually read your files too," Osgood confessed, rising her hand nervously. All eyes were on her. She took a puff of her inhaler and continued. "Okay, that was a lie. I've read most of your files - some of them are still classified - and Kate always spoke of you and your activities so fondly. She respects what you do. When I hear the name Sarah Jane Smith, I think of a hero, passionate about all life and working to make the world - and the universe - a better place."

"I was told that we do what we do to protect humanity, for the greater good, not for fame or glory," Clyde inputted. "I was told to never underestimate myself. You taught me that, and you're doing that right now. Sarah Jane, you told me you were following the Doctor's legacy. You've always told me that, to Luke and Maria-"

"And me," Rani interrupted, moving away to stand next to Clyde firmly. Sarah Jane smiled softly. They had put aside their argument to help her. What would she be without her friends? Sarah Jane never dwelled on the question long. "And we're telling you now, do what you've always done. Be Sarah Jane Smith, defender of the universe."

Sarah Jane approached her two young friends, and squeezed a hand each. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Jolly good," the Shopkeeper cheered. "Are you ready now, Miss Smith?"

Sarah Jane took a deep breath. No, she wasn't, but she couldn't let her friends down. She nodded resolutely and approached the time fissure the enigmatic man produced. She stared into the rippling white energy. "Will it take me back?"

"Yes," the Shopkeeper confirmed. "Back to Bannerman Road."

"Same time?"

"It is merely a shortcut."

"Okay…" Sarah Jane whispered, composing herself. She turned to Clyde and Rani, her two compatriots. They had stuck with her, through thick and thin, "Before I go, I need you two to do something for me..."

~SJA~

Sarah Jane's insides churned. Time travel was always cheaper without a vehicle. Steadying her frazzled nerves, she noted what she had once called home. It was taller than a skyscraper, piercing the stormy clouds overhead. It was night time. She wondered if Sky was safe up there.

The front doors opened ominously. An invitation. Fishing her sonic lipstick from her pocket, Sarah Jane stepped into 13 Bannerman Road for the first time in hours. The house had been transformed drastically. The paintings of friends, family and her achievements lay on the ground, the glass shattered. Cobwebs adorned the corners of the house, doors hung out of their frames and the lights had burst their bulbs. The wallpaper was wrinkled and peeling. Patches of mould clung to the walls.

Sarah Jane carefully climbed the staircase. They creaked under her weight. Her eyes scanned the dark room, searching for the Trickster's minions. She turned to the top of the staircase and froze. A familiar looking girl was looking back at her.

"Maria?"

" _Why did you make me go? I didn't want to go, I told you so. I didn't want to leave you. You forced me away from this life, Sarah Jane. How could you? What gave you the right? My life took a turn for the worst, and it's all your fault."_

She wasn't real. She couldn't have been real. It was a figment of her imagination manipulated by the Trickster, an amalgamation. This Maria was still a young thirteen year old girl, but the words still stung. Sarah Jane shuffled past her, only to find herself staring at Clyde.

" _I'm always the clown, aren't I? I had the chance to put my family back together and you ruined it for me! AND THEN YOU TOOK ME AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER! I thought you were my friend? Or were you just spiteful because I always made fun of Luke? You're lame, Sarah Jane."_

He wasn't real. She knew he wasn't real, but her heart betrayed her mind. Tears filled her eyelids as she pushed past him. She almost crashed into Rani, who towered over her vindictively.

" _All these years, I could have been a proper journalist, the kind you could never be. I had a proper family, a mum, a dad, a daughter...what did you have? Nothing. So you took it all away from me. Brainwashed me. I meant what I said in Danemouth, Sarah Jane. I wish you just left me alone."_

The tears threatened to burst. Sarah Jane wouldn't give the Trickster that luxury. She pushed past Rani and ran up the stairs hurriedly. She was at the last flight of steps. She thought she was safe until she came face to face with another familiar figure.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head in despair as Luke stared at her angrily. "Not him!"

" _I thought you loved me,"_ he wailed. " _You clearly didn't. You sent me go off to Oxford and then you replaced me. You're not my mother, you're a fraud! I was better off with Wormwood."_ ALL APPARITION SPEECH: ITALIC

"No, Luke, I'm- I'm sorry," Sarah Jane choked on her words, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks

" _So am I_ ," he growled before he disappeared abruptly. He was an apparition. Of course he was. Sarah Jane had known that and yet the words still burned. It was excruciating. It burrowed into her stomach and gnawed away at her insides, leaving her cold. She turned to the attic door as it slowly opened. The Trickster Sky stood on the other side, her head tilted to the side.

" _Welcome to my dominion, Sarah Jane Smith._ " ALL TRICKSTER SKY SPEECH: ITALIC

~SJA~

Clyde, Rani and the Shopkeeper appeared in the Pharos Institute. The teenage duo took a moment to steady themselves after the burst of bright light had receded.

"I think I'm gonna hurl," Clyde complained. Rani shuffled away instantly, shooting him a repulsed look.

"What you do in your spare time is none of my concern, Mr Langer," the Shopkeeper tutted, eyeing the empty reception hall curiously. "But we have a mission at hand. If we could focus, please?"

"Yeah, yeah," Clyde muttered, following the strange man as he led them down a corridor. The lab was silent, there wasn't another human being in sight.

"Everyone really has been evacuated," Rani muttered, attempting to make conversation. She shivered slightly at the cold. "They could have left the heating on at least!" she noticed Clyde was still actively ignoring her and sighed, jostling his shoulder. "Come on Clyde, don't let it be like this."

"What do you want me to say, Rani?" he asked her.

"Anything - preferably not a jab directed at me," she smiled hopefully. A small smiled graced Clyde's lips. Rani noticed that. She was making progress.

"I suppose we have talked about this," Clyde pointed out. "Back in the museum when Mr Smith was a human?"

Rani skidded to a halt, "Is that what we are?"

"I-I dunno," Clyde confessed as he also stopped. "Isn't that what we are?"

"Well, yes but...but…"

"But what?"

Rani and Clyde locked eyes. Time seemed to slow down. Nothing else mattered. Uncertainty and warmth hung over them like a blanket, contradicting each other. The crash back to reality was jarring when the Shopkeeper coughed animatedly.

"If we could focus, please?" He asked, staring at them with an amused twinkle in his eyes. The pair nodded sheepishly. The trio quickly rounded the corner and piled into a room. It was a mess. The computer was charred but operational, scorch marks clung to the walls and the equipment was scattered across the floor.

"What a mess," Rani murmured.

"It is quite distracting," the Shopkeeper agreed as he eyed the computer. He tapped a few keys and cried out triumphantly. "Ah! It is still operational!"

"Can you do it?" Clyde asked hopefully.

"Yes, but you need to stand back," the Shopkeeper warned. The two practically leapt to the other side of the room, watching nervously as the Shopkeeper placed the palm of his hands on the side of the computer. The pale white light of a time fissure engulfed the equipment. The computer sparked slightly and a burst of bright light momentarily blinded the teenage duo.

When the light faded, a confused Professor Rivers stood in front of them, her spectacles hanging from their frames.

"Clyde? Rani? I don't understand. What happened? I was on my computer when…"

"That doesn't matter right now!" Rani interrupted, "Sarah Jane said that you analyzed the components of Sky's electrical power?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. Yes, I remember now! I saved a copy of the findings…" She fumbled slightly when she produced a hard drive from her lab coat pocket, "Here!" The squawk of the parrot caught the Professor's attention and she stared at the Shopkeeper with trepidation. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I am but a school child who has finished his project, good Professor," the Shopkeeper smiled enigmatically. "It seems my job here is done. Goodbye and good luck!"

The man quickly disappeared in a burst of bright light. A fissure stood in his place, most likely leading back to Bannerman Road. The remaining trio had no time to dwell on it.

"Could you send a copy of the analysis to this number?" Rani asked as she showed Rivers the direct line to Mr Smith, "It's urgent."

"Of course, let's get straight to work!"

~SJA~

"Sky?" Sarah Jane called out, reaching for the girl that stood in front of her. She wondered if the girl was sightless. She had no eyes, and yet she seemed to have no problem sensing her presence, "Can you hear me?"

" _Sky Smith is not here_ ," two voices replied simultaneously. One was Sky's child-like sing song voice, the other was the deep booming voice of the Trickster. " _I am the Trickster's daughter, the Child of Chaos_." ALL TRICKSTER SPEECH: ITALIC

"No, Sky, you are your own person!" Sarah Jane pleaded, "You don't need to listen to what he tells you to do!"

" _I have made my decision, Sarah Jane_ ," the Trickster Sky smiled carnivorously. " _I have chosen this. We are one and the same now. This is what I wanted, you understand nothing_."

"I know the real Sky Smith wouldn't want this!" Sarah Jane retorted angrily, "Fight him, Sky! You're stronger than him!"

" _You understand nothing, woman_ ," the girl barked in laughter. " _I am the powerful one here. I feed on chaos itself. What good is love against chaos? Your 'daughter' is gone. She is by my side, her rightful place. Earth is my dominion now. You have failed. You cannot stop me now_."

Sarah Jane was silent. She noticed how the chimney breasts opened and closed slightly. A message. She knew what she had to do. "Nothing will stop you?" she asked for confirmation, taking a deep breath, "Nothing at all?"

" _No_!" the Trickster Sky cackled, " _I am victorious, Sarah Jane Smith_!"

"Then you leave me no choice," Sarah Jane whispered. Without hesitation, she turned to her trusty computer. "Mr Smith, I need you!"

The computer slowly appeared without the usual gusto. Sarah Jane and Mr Smith were both fully aware of what they had to do for the Earth. They had always known.

The Trickster Sky whipped her head around frantically. " _What is the meaning of this?!"_ She boomed. ALL TRICKSTER SKY SPEECH: ITALIC

"I've known this would happen for a very long time now!" Sarah Jane yelled triumphantly, "Jo investigating ancient murals and the visit to the Pharos Institute were no coincidences!"

" _You knew all this time?"_ TRICKSTER SKY SPEECH: ITALIC

"How else would UNIT have built the correct number of safe houses? You made a fatal error choosing Sky to be your vessel," Sarah Jane yelled as the attic windows shattered open as the wind and electricity was sucked inside. Her hair flew wildly in the wind. "You chose the girl who could influence electricity! A shock to the system is exactly what she needs. I'm putting her back in control! Mr Smith, now! Force the change!"

" _Complying_ ," Mr Smith's monotone voice stuttered, having quietly stored electricity during the showdown. Sarah Jane dived for cover as the room was engulfed in a bright, static blue light. Sparks flew off the overloading computer. The Trickster Sky's cries echoed around the dusty attic, reverberating all the way to the ground where Clyde and Rani stood nervously, gripping hands tightly. MR SMITH SPEECH: ITALIC

"You were right, I could never beat you," Sarah Jane yelled so her voice could be heard over the rushing wind. "Every single time we battled, it wasn't me who slayed you, that was my friends!"

The bright light became blinding, and Sarah Jane had to squint to see the petite silhouette of Sky splinter into two. The cycle appeared to be violent. The shadows coalescing and splitting frequently. The howls of pain became two, very distinct voices. Sky Smith stumbled, facing Sarah Jane momentarily with the sombre expression before turning to the Trickster, a determined expression etched on her face.

Sarah Jane noticed the change, and dread burrowed to the pit of her stomach. "No, Sky!" She cried out, "Don't!"

" _NO!"_ The Trickster cried, " _No! I gave you your power! Your strength! I gave you life!"_

"You tricked me!" Sky yelled, her hands sparking with electricity dangerously, "You turned me into a _monster!"_ ITALIC: "MONSTER"

" _You will obey me!"_ TRICKSTER SPEECH

"NO!" Sky retorted, the electricity coursing through her veins. Her hair whipped across her face. The electricity engulfed her body, the tendrils snaking along towards the Trickster, who stumbled backwards.

" _You cannot do this,"_ The Trickster hissed. " _You will not do this. I am your creator! You will not defy me!"_ The electricity formed shackles around the Trickster's wrists. He was getting desperate. " _You are not relevant to the grand scheme of things. You have damned me! You are no saviour, you are nothing but a child!"_ ALL TRICKSTER SPEECH: ITALIC

Sky ignored him. The electricity sparked around father and daughter, forming a barrier. "It's over," Sky told him. "You won't hurt anyone ever again!" she turned to Sarah Jane. "You have to run!"

"I can't leave you!" Sarah Jane argued, "I won't!"

"This isn't a request Sarah Jane, it's an order!"

"SKY, NO!" Sarah Jane wailed, pouncing to reach her.

Sky smiled at the Sarah Jane for the briefest of moments before she turned her attention back to the Trickster. With a determined smile on her face, she clapped her hands together. An almighty flash of light engulfed the attic, and then Bannerman Road, manholes covers flew into the air, houses caved in on their foundations, the roots withered away, and Clyde and Rani attempted to dive for cover at the last minute.

When the light faded, Sarah Jane Smith, Sky Smith, Clyde Langer, Rani and Chandra and the tyrant that had attempted to damn their world were gone.

~SJA~

Sarah Jane's eyes slowly opened. She had a splitting headache and felt exhausted. Once her cognitive functions began to operate on a tolerable level, her ears caught the sound of voices, specifically three very familiar voices.

"I don't get it. I was watching the telly and I'm suddenly here!" a boy exclaimed. The voice registered almost instantly. Sarah Jane shot up from her position.

"Luke!" She gasped, "What are you-"

She paused, examining her surroundings. It was an empty space. There was no ground, no air, no soil, nothing, but it wasn't dark. A plethora of colours surrounded them, providing warmth. Clyde, Rani and Luke crawled over to her, wrapping their arms around her tightly.

"Mum, you're okay!"

"I don't understand," Sarah Jane uttered. "What happened? Where are we?"

"I think you should ask her," Clyde gestured to her right. Sarah Jane turned. Standing there was a female humanoid figure. A white robe hugged her slim physique, and her hair glowed with a translucent light. She emanated an ethereal glow, her eyes twinkling with love, warmth and compassion. Sarah Jane pulled herself to her feet, walking towards the figure. She opened her mouth to ask, to inquire who this mysterious figure was, when her face morphed into one that was very familiar.

"Sky," she laughed in disbelief. "It's you, Sky."

"Hello, Sarah Jane," Sky smiled. Her voice sounded more mature, it echoed off the walls and displayed authority. "It worked, you saved me."

"What happened to you?"

"A gift from the universe," Sky explained, shifting slightly. "I feel different. There's this...warmth. It keeps me warm. I wanted you all to be here, all of you. Even you, Luke! I want you to be safe, always. What is it? What is this feeling? It's scary but...it's nice."

"It's love, Sky," Sarah Jane smiled solemnly. "That feeling is love."

"This is my gift of love. I will offer my services as guardian of the Trickster and ensure he never escapes. He will be imprisoned forever. I am guardian of the dimensions now, and this is my new home."

"But- that means you'll…" Sarah Jane stuttered as the truth dawned on her, "Sky, you can't!"

"But this is what I want!" Sky countered, "I want to do this, Sarah Jane. This is what I was born to do. This is my destiny!"

"I don't want you to go!"

"It's too late," Sky sighed sadly. The environment started to shift. "Goodbye, Sarah Jane."

"Sky, please, don't go!" Sarah Jane croaked.

"Goodbye, mum," Sky smiled sadly, her words devolving into a simple whisper. She turned towards her friends. "Goodbye everyone!"

She faded from view, leaving them alone in the neverland. Sleep tempted them, goading them to close their eyes. When was the last time Sarah Jane had slept? She couldn't remember, but the prospect was difficult to refuse. Luke, Clyde and Rani also felt the spell call for them and struggled over to Sarah Jane. They linked hands, struggling to keep their eyes open, willing Sky to return. They gave up in a few minutes.

"Bye, bye, Sparky," Clyde said softly before sleep overwhelmed him.

~SJA~

Sarah Jane was the first to wake up this time. The sensation of the cold ground underneath her back was more than enough to inform her she was sprawled out on a pavement. She slowly picked herself up, her hands shaking. Her insides were numb and tear tracks stained her cheeks. Her tired eyes scanned the environment and she froze when she noticed her house. The building that had stood proudly for many years had been reduced to rubble. Her garden swing lay broken in the street. Her car lay in the drive, damaged irreparably. She turned to the Chandras' house. Also destroyed. She turned to look down the street. Everything was smoking rubble. Everything had been destroyed, buildings, roots, gardens.

Bannerman Road was gone.

The same thought was repeated over and over in her head long after Luke, Clyde and Rani had woken up. She registered the jingly tune of Luke's phone going off.

"Oh, it's Sanjay, he must be worried," Luke announced nervously, moving to take the call in private. Clyde grabbed him by the arm, stopping him from moving.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you or anything, mate, but we just sort of saved the world. Your mate can wait!"

Luke shoved Clyde's arm away. "He's more than a mate!" He froze. "Sorry. I just...I'm not really sure what's going on. One minute I'm in the Oxford barricade and then Sky suddenly brings me here and- it doesn't matter, now isn't the time." He moved over and wrapped his arms around his frail mother, resting his chin on her head. Sarah Jane stood in the embrace, unmoving. It was only when Clyde and Rani joined the embrace that she allowed herself to cry as the sun rose over the broken street.

~SJA~

Everything was in disarray. England was still recuperating and rebuilding after the Trickster's takeover. The soldiers that had been transformed into his Whisper army had to be put down permanently. With Bannerman Road destroyed, Sarah Jane had taken up Carla on an offer to stay with her and Clyde temporarily. The Chandras temporarily checked in at a nearby hotel while they looked for a new house. At the end of the day, all had been forgiven and the parents respectfully kept their questions at bay to give the group time to heal.

It was summer now. Children ran around with their water pistols, enjoying the long break from school, blissfully ignorant of the Earth shattering event that had occurred a few months ago. Sarah Jane watched them from her bedroom window, trying to summon the memories of her own childhood. She couldn't do it. What were once fond memories had been replaced by the image of a unfailingly cheerful little girl skipping her way through a planet so foreign to her.

Clyde entered the room, distracting Sarah Jane from her thoughts. She noticed his slumped posture and the sad aura that exuded off him.

"Tea's ready," he announced. Sarah Jane nodded.

"Are you okay Clyde?"

"Not really," Clyde admitted solemnly, leaning against the wall. "She's going today, isn't she?"

"Rani's gap-year trip with Jo and Santiago," Sarah Jane mused. His sadness was palpable, but Sarah Jane knew how to help him with the context provided to her. "Go with her."

"What?" Clyde was startled from his thoughts. He gaped at Sarah Jane in shock, "What did you say?"

"Go with her, Clyde," Sarah Jane urged.

"I can't just barge my way into their trip!"

"Why not? Haresh is paying."

"It wouldn't be fair on Santiago, would it?" He shot Sarah Jane a self-deprecating smile, "You can't really compare the both of us."

"Clyde, Santiago travels the world all the time. He goes to all sorts of places, meets different people, but the things you've been through together, the thirteenth floor? How could anything compare to that? You know that, and she definitely knows that," she pointed out. "Neither of you have ever got to see the world. The things you do with me? That's amazing, but only a small slice of what life has to offer you. There's so much out there, just on our own planet. The two of you, you're amazing, but you still have so much to see. Take a page out of Maria's book - you can go and visit her!

"But I don't have a ticket!"

"Don't you?" Sarah Jane smiled as she fished out a ticket from the drawer. Clyde's eyes widened, and he pointed at the ticket in shock.

"How did you…?"

"I asked Jo to purchase another ticket. You'll be pleasantly surprised to know that she agrees with us. Rani is waiting for you, you know."

"But what about my mum?"

"She's packed all your bags," Sarah Jane chuckled. "Go, Clyde."

Clyde dared to hope. He smiled and turned for the door. He paused, knowing there was one thing left to do. He turned to Sarah Jane with a big grin, "Thank you, Sarah Jane. For everything. You know, I've never really said it, but you're pretty cool."

"Thank _you_ , Clyde," Sarah Jane smiled. The smile faded once he bounded out the door and left her alone.

~SJA~

Rani had been standing outside the airport for an hour, confused about the reasoning behind it. Jo had assured her that the plane wasn't due to depart for another hour, but Rani was still anxious and oblivious. She eventually decided she had waited long enough. She picked up her bag and turned to enter the airport when-

"Rani!"

Rani spun around in surprise. "Clyde?"

Clyde jogged towards her with multiple bags in tow. His mum had gone overboard, wanting to make sure he would have absolutely everything for his trip. He grinned when he caught up to her, his hands splayed dramatically.

Rani stared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I realised that I may have been...a little rude during our argument," he said sheepishly.

"You think?"

Clyde scowled at her biting tone. "Yeah, okay, I get the point."

"Oh, do you?" Rani responded scathingly, folding her arms, "please enlighten me."

"You want to forget," Clyde sighed. "The anger and pain of forgetting Sarah, the pain of knowing she existed, and us. You want to forget us." Rani averted her gaze sheepishly. It was true. "But it's not the way, Rani. You can't just forget all that, it's- it's _wrong_. She's your daughter!"

"Then what do I do?" She asked, looking at Clyde for guidance. "If I don't try to forget, it'll eat away at me, if I forget, I'll still remember in my dreams. Clyde, I don't know what to do!"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No!"

"We make new memories," Clyde stated resolutely, "in Sarah's honour. Together. We don't have to forget her if we're together. We can share stories of what we remember and we can be there for each other when the pain gets too much. What do you say?"

Rani looked at him for a long time, studying him. She bit her lip, deep in thought. Could she do it?

She decided she could. She nodded and placed her hand on top of his. "Together."

~SJA~

A week later, Bannerman Road had been cordoned off by UNIT. Sarah Jane studied the wreckage of her house mournfully. Colonel Erisa Magambo approached her with a box. An assortment of items was placed within it. Pictures, alien gadgets, everything, the remains of Mr Smith's Xylok crystal. The strain of opening a large enough containment vortex to encompass the house was too much. UNIT had attempted to revive him, but it was too late.

"We've salvaged all that we could," Magambo explained. "And this really is all of it. Kate insisted that you have it all."

"Thank you, Colonel," Sarah Jane murmured, accepting the box.

"Here, let me," Luke took the box out of her hands as soon as he approached her. She smiled reticently at him and they both turned their attention to their broken house. The history had been washed away by the explosion. Everything was gone. Luke looked at his mother worriedly. "Mum?"

"I'm fine, Luke," Sarah Jane replied unconvincingly. Luke sighed when he realised she was closing herself off. He placed the box down on the ground and wrapped an arm around her.

"There's something I have to tell you. It's about Sanjay.."

"Oh?"

"Well, him and me - we're...we're going out."

"Oh, that's alright."

"And I know it's not 'proper' or anything but I don't care because I- huh?" Luke pulled away, blinking dumbly, "It is? I thought-"

"Luke, this has nothing to do with the world's admittedly backwards thinking. The bottom line is that I am not the dictator of your life. If you like Sanjay, then you like him. It is as simple as that. At the end of the day, you are _my_ son, and nobody else can sully my opinion or change how much I love you."

"Thanks, mum." Luke sighed in relief. A huge weight had been taken off his shoulders.

"You should probably get back to him."

"What? No! I can stay and help-"

"Kate's offered me a ride to a destination of my choice, I'll be fine." Sarah Jane assured him, eyeing his yellow car. Luke followed her gaze and bit his lip. "And you have your studies and a life of your own now! Go on, Luke. Save the world one last time...for me?"

"Okay," Luke agreed sadly after a long pause. "I'll go, but I want to visit you tomorrow."

"Of course. Love you."

"Love you too, mum," Luke took one last look at the charred ruins of the only home he had ever known. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and kissed his mother's forehead before walking over to his car. Sarah Jane watched him go. He was a fine man now, even if he was barely six years old. He lingered by the car door, looking back at her worriedly. Sarah Jane shooed him off and watched as he drove away from the street.

She turned back to her house. Her thoughts occupied the empty space that had been carved into her heart. Luke, Clyde, Rani and Sky were all gone.

She was alone.

"Are you ready to go, Miss Smith?" Colonel Magambo called out. Sarah Jane nodded minutely. She knew exactly where she wanted to go. She turned around and stepped into the jeep, the box containing her belongings in her lap. She announced her destination and gazed out the window as the jeep started moving.

Goodbye, Bannerman Road.

 **The Sarah Jane Adventures returns in A New Melody**


End file.
